Biomed Campus Places Final Structural Beam

By Ifeyinwa Susan Francis

The New Wichita Biomedical Campus celebrated a major milestone on Tuesday by placing its final structural beam during a special ceremony.

KSN News reported the event on August 26, 2025.

The facility, located on the lot southwest of Broadway and William, represents a partnership among Wichita State University, WSU Tech, and the University of Kansas.

Before crews hoisted the final steel beam to the top of the structure, project team members signed it in recognition of their contributions. When complete, the 471,000-square-foot, $300 million health sciences facility will house WSU’s College of Health Professions, the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, WSU Tech’s health care program, and the Wichita campuses of KU’s School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy.

“It’s the most transformational project that we’ve had in Wichita,” said Rick Muma, President of Wichita State University.

“It has a special meaning for me because I’m a healthcare provider, and I’ve always wanted this collaboration with KU.”

Senator Jerry Moran, who attended Tuesday’s ceremony along with other guests, emphasized the urgent need for more healthcare professionals across Kansas.

“I visit hospitals in Kansas all the time,” said Moran. “I’ve been to every hospital in the state. While Medicaid, Medicare, drug costs, and healthcare finances are real concerns, our biggest challenge is the shortage of healthcare professionals across Kansas. This bill takes us one step closer to solving that problem.”

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson also spoke at the event.

“It’s amazing to me to sit here now and watch this go from a bold vision to a reality,” said Masterson. “I can’t wait till ’27 when we open this thing up.”

The campus will open in phases, with Phase 1 scheduled to open sometime in 2027. Officials estimate that 3,000 students and 200 faculty and staff will attend in the first year.