Officials have broken ground on Wichita’s new multimillion dollar arts center, which is scheduled to open in about two years.

About 400 people gathered Wednesday for the center’s groundbreaking.

Liz Koch, honorary trustee for the center, announced it will be called Mark Arts-the Mary R Koch Arts Center. The current center is known as the Wichita Center for the Arts.

The Wichita Eagle reports (http://j.mp/28PqOQJ) the new center, which is scheduled to open in 2018, will include a gallery for national exhibits, an event center, studios for artists and sculpture garden.

Center officials say the first phase of the 40,000-square-foot center will cost $19 million, and the center is working to raise an additional $1 million for landscaping and walking trails.

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Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com.