As Wichita State dethaws ahead of the spring 2025 semester so are construction projects on campus. Executive Director of Facilities Services Eason Bryer said the winter weather has given way to the start and continuation of several on-campus construction projects.
According to Bryer, students, faculty and staff can expect a few interruptions to their campus commute as a result of this construction, but he said campus regulars have the completion of several projects to look forward to in the new semester, including repairs to the Corbin Education Center, the unveiling of an indoor softball practice facility and the conclusion of the first phase on the renovated University Stadium.
Corbin Education Center
Following a chilled water line break last March, the Corbin Education Center is now free of water and water damage. The College of Applied Studies (CAS) building — designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright — was originally anticipated to reopen in September 2024, but flooding in the basement and subsequent damages delayed repairs.
However, Bryer said there are no other anticipated delays, and Director of Strategic Communications Lainie Mazzullo-Hart predicts that CAS students and faculty will “likely move back into Corbin at the end of the spring 2025 semester.”
Pickleball courts
After its location and funding were contested between the Student Government Association and university administration last semester, Wichita State’s new pickleball courts are now being carved out between Hubbard Hall, Lindquist Hall and the Heskett Center.
The courts will replace the original pickleball playing area, which was demolished to make room for expansions to Wilkins Stadium outside Heskett.
Construction on the new courts began last week with the relocation of “Canto IV–A,” a sculpture that can now be found north of the McKnight Art Center, later than originally anticipated.
According to Bryer, construction crews will use the sidewalks near Hubbard Hall to transport materials, but no serious interruptions or obstacles are expected.
The three new sets of pickleball courts are set to be completed during the summer of 2025, just in time for peak pickleball weather.
McKnight Art Center
Ventilation upgrades on the second floor of the McKnight Art Center will yield several classrooms and spaces unusable for “most of the semester,” according to Bryer. The second floor and north portion of the fine arts building will be closed until the start of the fall 2025 semester.
Duerksen Fine Arts Center
Fine arts students, faculty and staff can also expect the addition of a new single-occupancy restroom and lounge area in the B wing of the Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Construction has already begun on this project.
“(Construction crews will be) confined to the construction area, so there shouldn’t be much interruption at all (for) the people occupying or using the building,” Bryer said.
Mazzullo-Hart estimates that the construction will be completed in early February.
University Stadium
The first phase of the University Stadium — formerly Cessna Stadium — construction project is well underway. The east side of the stadium was demolished in the summer of 2023, kicking off the multi-year project. With the completion of Phase 1A scheduled for May 2025, this first building stage, according to Mazzullo-Hart, includes bleacher seating, a ticketing pavilion, restrooms, concession stands and a new plaza and parking lot.
Phase 1B, which will see the sports field widened and a nine-lane track installed, is set to begin after the conclusion of the KSHSAA Track and Field State Championship on May 30 and 31.
Wilkins Stadium
By the end of March, Wichita State’s softball team will have a new indoor practice facility to call home.
This upgrade to Wilkins Stadium is just one part of a multi-stage plan to add amenities, such as a full-size turf infield, batting cages, locker rooms and more to the women’s softball hub over the next few years.
With the steel structure almost complete, the unveiling of the indoor practice facility in March will signal the conclusion of the first phase of the project and the start of the next phase, which will add an office complex to Wilkins Stadium. There is currently no estimated date for completion of this next phase.
Wichita Biomedical Campus
Over winter break, construction crews poured hundreds of trucks worth of concrete and installed miles of rebar to lay the foundation for the new Wichita Biomedical Campus, according to Mazzullo-Hart.
Located near Broadway and William streets in downtown Wichita, the 471,000-square-foot biomedical campus aims to create a “health care corridor” for health education and potential patients.
In preparation for the next construction steps — including the installation of a tower crane — crews have begun blocking streets around the site. According to Mazzullo-Hart, these lanes will be “closed to traffic for almost two years” until the project’s scheduled completion at the end of 2026.
A live broadcast of the construction on the biomedical campus can be viewed online.
Public Policy and Management Center
Public Policy and Management Center (PPMC) operations and services, previously housed in Lindquist Hall, can now be found at 3203 E.17th St. N., formerly the Garvey International Center. According to its website, the center operates under the belief that “public universities should serve the public good,” and does so through applied research and community service.
According to Bryer, this means that the Garvey Center — and international student resources and offices — will soon move onto the main campus.
“That (Garvey International Center) is their (PPMC) new home,” Bryer said. “The building will be renamed, and the Garvey Center will move on to campus proper.”
NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research
A new facility for advanced manufacturing research labs and offices — the NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research (HAMR) — will be open and ready for use as early as October 2025.
The nearly 200,000-square-foot, $62 million project is located on Innovation Boulevard, between The Suites and Partnership Building 1. The construction, according to Bryer, should be isolated within the fence that has surrounded the construction site since November 2024.
A livestream of the NIAR HAMR construction can be found on WSUTV’s YouTube.
Partnership Building 3B
Wichita State currently does not have an estimated timeline for the completion of Partnership Building 3B (P3B). Located between Partnership Building 3 and The Smart Factory P3B is being “wholly managed by an outside entity,” according to Bryer.
Once completed, the facility will house the Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
