GMLV ArchitectureThe mixed-use corner of 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Innovation Campus along 21st and Oliver is beginning to take shape.
The 20-acre area reserved for restaurants, shops and lodging will be named Braeburn Square, to honor the university golf course that operated there.
And its first building will be a 123-room Element by Westin Hotel. Construction is expected to begin by spring 2017 on the corner of Oliver and 19th, a new street being built on the Innovation Campus.
Element by Westin hotels are known for their contemporary design and environmentally friendly practices. There are about 60 in operation or planned in the United States and Canada, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The nearest locations are Omaha, Dallas and Denver.
鈥淎s we talk with companies about locating on the Innovation Campus, one of the repeated requests is for a hotel to serve the needs of business travelers,鈥� said John Tomblin, vice president for research and technology transfer. 鈥淭he hotel is a must-have for continued growth on campus. It will also serve families of prospective and current students, guest speakers and those attending arts, athletics and other campus events.鈥�
Braeburn Square buildings will be privately financed without the use of student or public funds.
The first two buildings on Innovation Campus are under construction and will be completed this fall:
- The Experiential Engineering Building will include 25 laboratories and a community makerspace called GoCreate, a Koch collaborative.
- The first partnership building will house the Airbus Wichita engineering center for up to 400 Airbus employees and Wichita State students engaging in applied learning with the company.
A third building will be the Law Enforcement Training Center, a collaboration of the city of Wichita, Sedgwick County and the 麻豆传媒 Criminal Justice Department, where police officers, deputies and students will be trained and educated.