KCKCC opens new downtown campus for 1st day of classes amidst turnover, uncertainty next door

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.

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KCKCC's $67 million downtown campus opened Aug. 17 at 7th Street and State Avenue, but a neighboring social services center faces an uncertain future.

The campus, which cost KCKCC $57 million — with the remaining costs covered by building partners Community America Credit Union and Swope Health through three respective capital campaigns — began offering 10 classes Monday, including general education, English as a second language, GED, and specialized career and technical programs such as biomanufacturing, automation engineering, administrative office professional training and commercial construction.

Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

Students are allowed to enroll throughout the week.

A KCKCC spokesperson said enrollment numbers are not currently available.

The building sits at the intersection of 7th and State and was constructed on the site of the historic St. Mary's Church.

Stained glass windows and benches from the church were preserved in the lobby.

Interim President Dr. Jackie Vietti said the preservation was intentional.

Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

"It is always best to honor history, and so it was very intentional that we incorporate as many facets of St. Mary's Church and historic site as we could."

Dr. Vietti said the new location is centered on one core idea.

"This is all about access for current and prospective students in this area and beyond,” Vietti said.

Dr. Vietti has been in her interim president role for 17 days, having started Aug. 1.

She previously served as interim president at KCKCC for a year in 2017.

"It's been great to come back. It's like coming home,” Vietti said.

The KCKCC Board of Trustees voted to terminate the former president in March, and the executive vice president tendered his resignation in April.

Dr. Vietti said the college's experienced team made the opening possible despite the leadership transition.

"It was a great team effort by people who have been at KCKCC quite a while,” Vietti said.

She added that the college's leadership structure remained steady throughout.

"We have a wonderful leadership team that is stable,” Vietti said. “Jason Sievers is the coordinator, administrator of this building. He has been here many, many years.”

Sievers has been with the college for 28 years, the majority of them with the college police department.

He gave KSHB 41’s Rachel Henderson a tour of the four floors where KCKCC operates in the building Monday.

Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

Community America Credit Union is housed on the first floor, and Swope Health operates on the fourth floor.

There are also express teller machines for the credit union in the back parking lot.

Dr. Vietti described the building as a community resource beyond just education.

"It's a one-stop shop, if you will, for financial business dealings, health dealings, education,” Vietti said.

She said the campus was designed with a specific student in mind — those who may not be able to travel to KCKCC's main or technical campuses.

The campus does not offer residential living like the main campus but is best suited for commuters.

"The overall purpose is to bring education to where the students are."

Dr. Vietti also pointed to the campus as a catalyst for the surrounding area.

"I believe one of the thoughts that drove this beyond meeting student needs was wanting to contribute to the economic vitality of downtown Kansas City,” Vietti said. “Having a facility like this that is brand new and eye-catching, hopefully can spur other developers to bring what they can do to create something like this."

The college's next-door neighbor, the Willa Gill Center, shares a similar mission.

The Willa Gill Center is a social services center that must relocate due to the college's expansion.

William Goree, a volunteer at the Willa Gill Center, described the situation facing those who rely on it back in July.

Matt Reeb/KSHB 41

"There's a lot of uncertainty that's causing anxiety,” Goree said. “That's the stress, that's the situation going on down here right now."

The Unified Government is responsible for finding a new home for the Willa Gill Center.

Dr. Vietti said there is no immediate pressure on the center to leave.

"We have no timeline by which Willa Gill would need to relocate,” Vietti said. “They're welcome here until they find a new home."

She added that KCKCC intends to support the center through the process.

"We want what's best for them, and when they find a suitable space where they can continue their services and programming, we'll do everything we can to help ensure a smooth transition, and in the meantime, we want to be a good partner to them."

KSHB 41 reached out to the UG for an update on the search.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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