The Old Town District of Wichita centers around a massive 1942 wartime warehouse, a reinforced-concrete and brick structure built as part of the city’s logistical network supporting World War II production. Originally conceived as a utilitarian storage and distribution center, the building’s architecture emphasized efficiency above all: wide structural bays, minimal ornamentation, generous industrial windows, and robust loading facilities. The surrounding blocks mirrored this architectural language, forming a unified industrial campus defined by durable materials and practical design. Beginning in the 1990s and accelerating into the 21st century, the district underwent a comprehensive transformation, shifting from a declining industrial zone into one of Wichita’s primary mixed-use neighborhoods. Adaptive reuse introduced a broad array of new programs: offices, coworking spaces, galleries, specialty retail, event venues, and a prominent food hall occupying the ground floor of the former warehouse. Renovators retained much of the original industrial character exposed brick, concrete floors, steel window frames while overlaying modern systems and design interventions. Over time, Old Town evolved from a wartime supply depot to a civic cultural destination, with restored streetscapes, improved pedestrian infrastructure, and preserved architectural textures. The district’s renewed vitality honors its industrial heritage while offering contemporary urban amenities, making it a leading example of large-scale adaptive reuse in the American Midwest.
Original Architect – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Federal wartime industrial design teams. Redevelopment Architects – Various local and regional firms contributing to incremental adaptive-reuse projects Builder (Original) U.S. Government wartime construction contractors
Source https://image-tc.galaxy.tf/wijpeg-2gfz0da3r48ouek11ee187dvj/historic-hotel-at-old-town.jpg?width=1920 Source https://image-tc.galaxy.tf/wijpeg-8juf8uh3ewx0anr2fo9z0grct/atrium-lobby.jpg?width=360&height=300
Original Construction – 1942. District-Wide Redevelopment – 1990s–present. Major Adaptive Reuse Phases – 2000s–2020s
Exterior: Wartime Industrial / Warehouse Vernacular (primary). Contemporary Industrial (redeveloped)
Originally A 1942-era, 1-million-sf storage warehouse, originally built for war-time production / storage. Renovated into offices, coworking spaces, event venues, and a large food hall on the ground level.