KS-2021-003

Wichita Transit, a department of the City of Wichita, was awarded $14,232,816 in FY2019 Bus and Bus Facility Competitive Federal Funds for a multimodal center. These funds are listed under Kansas UZA 200000 (2019.25.34.BC). This project was programmed in the FY2021-2024 Approved Transportation Improvement Program (TIP ID#40-570), which is incorporated by reference in the Kansas STIP.

We are applying $800,000 of the award to engineering design with a local match of $200,000. The city portion of the local match will be financed using the City of Wichita/Wichita Transit's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funds.

The current grant application schematic drawing includes an allocation of approximately 5,000 sq ft of retail space. However, the application narrative did not plan for nor project any specific joint development stakeholder. The project site is bounded and limited by streets on all four sides and provides no room for expansion. The city's paramount concern is to use all available space necessary within the site footprint for current transit operations and foreseeable expansion.

The city will use the traffic planning and engineering expertise of the architectural and engineering design team to make a fresh evaluation of space needs for this purpose. Until that planning and design due diligence is complete, the city has no plans for joint development. The city does not want to take on a joint development participant which would present space and design demands that might challenge optimal development for transit activities.

This planning exercise will include interior and bus slip space for Greyhound intercity bus service and Bee-Line intercity bus service, providing links to two different Amtrak lines. These entities will provide no direct funding for facility construction but will pay rent at many multiples of FMV for the interior retail space used to account for their intermittent use of bus slip space and signage rights.

When the design due diligence exercise is complete and to the extent space is available for incidental use, the design team will provide for joint development commercial options on the project site, subject to FTA approval. Such a joint development partner will be approached in the typical commercial manner - no direct participation in construction costs but rental payments and proportional utility payments commensurate with the FMV of the space utilized.

City Of Wichita

20.526 - Buses and Bus Facilities Formula, Competitive, and Low or No Emissions Programs

FTA Region 7 [DOT - FTA]

FTA Office of Budget and Policy [DOT - FTA]

Kansas United States

State-Wide

None

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 09/30/23 to 03/30/26 and the total obligations have increased 1673% from $1,000,000 to $17,725,520.