The North End is a critical neighborhood in Wichita, featuring vibrant culture, people and opportunity.
Empower is focused on reigniting Wichita’s North End. But what is the North End? The North End is Wichita’s predominantly Hispanic community. Located north of Downtown, the North End encompasses parts of the El Pueblo, Midtown and Benjamin Hills neighborhoods.
The area has a rich history. Following growth in the late 1800s, the area around 21st and Broadway was incorporated into the city of Wichita. By 1914, there was a small commercial area developing along 21st Street and Market. In the 1920s, industries in the area including railways, flour mills, and meat packing plants provided jobs to a diverse population including an influx of Mexican immigrants.
In 1929, the Nomar Theater (short for North Market) opened at 21st and Market. Designed in a Spanish-style of architecture, the theatre provided some of the first talking movies to the area. In 2011, the Nomar International Plaza opened at 21st and Broadway. Building off the style of the Nomar Theatre, the Plaza provides a community gathering space that has housed festivals and markets. Ultimately, the history of the North End is being written everyday.
