A years-long effort culminating in the creation of a Riverfront Legacy Master Plan was paused in an instant a year ago. Until a joint meeting among City Council members and Sedgwick County commissioners was canceled last March due to new gathering restrictions, the plan to transform the east bank of the Arkansas River had gathered considerable momentum. Since then, the world has changed, and some Wichitans argue now is not the time to move forward with a $1.2-billion project that’s expected to be funded at least partially by public tax dollars. But with the rollout of a Covid-19 vaccine and case numbers on the decline, backers of the plan say they are ready to examine which parts of the Riverfront Legacy Master Plan should be reconsidered in a post-Covid world, and which parts are still necessary. For now, the public-private coalition behind the plan has hired four outside firms to study the pandemic’s impact and help shape a new draft.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
