Downtown Wichita is typical of many cities that have experienced a decline of business activity in their Central Business District over that last couple of decades due to the attractiveness of suburban environments. With a lessening emphasis on downtown and decreases in the population of Center City residents, many neighborhood-oriented services were forced to follow their customers in order to remain competitive. Many who work downtown have their needs for service met within the confines of the neighborhood where they reside, which are primarily outside of Center City. This trend can be reversed. C.O.R.E. has a perfect opportunity to address this gap in the Center City Neighborhood as it makes plans for responsible housing development. Many of the "pioneers" who will be drawn to the area will be more likely to settle there if there are provisions for certain services within short distance of where they live.
Stakeholders have cited the need for a quality grocery store in the neighborhood, although local residents drive or are transported by transit less than two miles to shop. There are a couple of full-service gas stations in the neighborhood and restaurants, mainly fast food establishments, scattered throughout the area.
Some participants in the planning process have expressed concern about the lack of child care services available in the downtown area. This will be a critical issue to address as more persons are recruited to move to the area, in addition to the current Via Christi and downtown business employees who could benefit from these type of services.
As housing and other physical developments are created, it will be important to incorporate neighborhood services such as laundry, photocopying, pharmacy, banking, etc. into the plan. Some of this can be addressed by partnering with Via Christi as well as catering to the needs of persons who will comprise the housing. In particular, Via Christi is interested in serving the needs of seniors who could be housed in the area. Other services will need to be customized to the needs of neighborhood residents, understanding that certain economies of scale must be maintained in order to successfully attract the necessary investments to create and sustain neighborhood-oriented services.