Learn more about this project at Municipal Complex Renovations & New Construction

Why isn’t the municipal complex construction project scheduled for a public vote? 

This project, as it is proposed, requires no sales tax increase and no increase to the city’s mill levy. As designed, this project would be funded through the issuance of general obligation bonds to be paid through existing revenue streams. Public votes may only be held when required by Kansas law. 

In Prairie Village, general obligation debt for public improvements is issued without an election, as allowed by charter ordinance. This is typical among cities in Kansas. In recent years, this process was used for the purchase of streetlights, for street improvements and drainage projects, and for the construction of the public works facility.

The city council makes decisions based on long-term needs. The 30-year bond for this investment is intended to benefit current and future residents, as the new facility is expected to have a lifespan of at least 75 years. By planning ahead, the city is ensuring that a functional, modern facility will serve the community for generations.

What is the estimated project cost?

The city council has approved for the entirety of the project to cost no more than $30 million, including the following estimated costs:

• Land purchase – $4.5 million
• Police department/municipal court renovations – $7.5 million
• City hall construction – $18 million

No. The public works department—which is responsible for public infrastructure including parks, streets, drainage, and capital improvements—and the police department are fully funded. No budget requests made by these departments have been denied to support a new municipal facility. This project would not have been considered if it would impact core service delivery.

The city’s comprehensive plan identifies land from Mission Road to Delmar and from 75th Street to 79th Street as the civic campus. When land in this area becomes available, the city has a responsibility to explore opportunities to reposition community amenities and services.

The property at 7820 Mission Road became available while the city council was working through the needs and feasibility of renovating or rebuilding parts of the municipal complex at 7700 Mission Road to address issues including security, over-crowding, flooding, lack of insulation, aging electrical, plumbing and sanitary sewer infrastructure, and a roof in need of replacement. This complex is currently home to the police department, municipal court and administrative staff.

Though city staff and the city council were four years into the project and had already worked through development and design concepts, the project was put on hold while the city performed a site evaluation at 7820 Mission Road. Ultimately, the city council chose to purchase the land as the site of a new municipal building. This will allow more room for police and court staff by remodeling the existing municipal complex at 7700 Mission Road.

In addition to the staff who will be working from city hall on a daily basis, the city has more than 100 volunteers who serve on advisory boards and committees that meet regularly at city hall. The building will also provide meeting rooms and training space for a full-time, regular staff of 118 people, with seasonal use by the aquatic staff of 110 additional employees. The building will also provide more room for community members who wish to attend city council meetings or other public meetings. Space will also be available for private rentals by community groups. 

The current police facility was built in the mid 1990s, and while it has not reached its useful end of life, it was designed for a much smaller police force. When fully staffed, the Prairie Village Police Department has 60 employees working in crowded conditions. Relocating city hall operations to 7820 Mission Road frees up space for police offices, creates an improved evidence room with better ventilation and more storage, and increases the size of the police training room, which is used 24 hours a day for police operations.

The city explored the idea of building a new police department, but specialized police needs, including holding cells and garage bays, substantially increased the project costs beyond feasibility.

In February 2023, three renovation-only options were presented to the city council. The cost to renovate 7700 Mission Road to meet current programming needs was $22 million. At that time, the council directed staff to explore the option of new construction rather than the renovation that would extend the life of the current 53-year-old municipal facility by an estimated 40 years.

Renovating the 65-year-old church building to meet city needs would bring the total project cost to $32-38 million, and it would extend the life of the existing building by 40 years.

The current plan for a newly constructed city hall and a renovated police station and municipal court building is currently estimated to cost no more than $30 million with a city hall building anticipated to last for 75 years.

Funding for the project will come from a variety of sources. Initial work has been approved with $1.5 million in one-time federal funding as well as $1 million of previously-budgeted Capital Infrastructure Program (CIP) funds. Large capital infrastructure projects with long useful lives are typically financed upfront through bonds, which are then repaid through dedicated revenue sources. Cities’ infrastructure – whether it be roads, stormwater, or buildings – has a useful lifespan and will eventually need to be rebuilt or replaced. Borrowing to meet these cyclical needs allows cities to use their low borrowing rates, which are often lower than the rate of construction cost inflation, to match the timing of the benefits of improvements to the repayment of the costs. 

The city began the planning process for making improvements to the Municipal Complex four years ago. With the direction of the city council, the city has already incorporated approximately 2/3 of the expected annual debt repayment amount into the existing budget. Total costs and borrowing structures are still to be finalized, but it is likely that budgeting for the remaining amount needed will not require an increase to the mill levy.  This is similar to how many other cities often pay for major repairs and replacements to capital assets: when one project’s bonds are paid off, the next needed projects are financed and built without raising taxes.

Prairie Village has a long-standing history of climate action, which has been fostered by generations of environmentally conscious individuals and leaders. In 2021, the city committed to the Cities Race to Zero climate initiative. Last year, the city council adopted the Municipal Operations Climate Action Plan, underscoring the city’s commitment to fostering a sustainable future for our community and beyond and helping establish a road map for the Race to Zero. The Municipal Climate Action Plan identifies municipal facilities as one of the biggest consumers of energy and recommends maximizing LEED guidelines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in new construction and major renovations.

It is currently estimated that a LEED platinum certification will cost approximately $1 million to achieve and is included in the total project cost. The project timeline estimates decisions regarding LEED certification will be discussed in spring or summer of 2025.

The city chose both the architect and construction manager through a competitive process. 

In 2022, a request for proposals was issued to seek proposals from qualified firms to develop schematic options for renovations or rebuilding of municipal operations. The city received four responses. Clark & Enersen was chosen through a competitive selection process to design the buildings.

In 2024, a request for proposals was issued to seek proposals from qualified firms for a construction manager at risk contract. The city received four responses. McCown Gordon Construction was selected.

The process of using a construction manager at risk is different than the design-build process that residents may be more familiar with. The construction manager does not simply give the city a quote for the project- they manage the bidding process of all contractors and sub-contractors, and work with the city to evaluate alternative options to achieve the project’s overall goals. You can read more about this process here: https://mccowngordon.com/take-charge-early-with-cmar-delivery-method/.

The Prairie Village governing body includes 12 council members plus one mayor.  A quorum is the minimum number of members of the governing body necessary to constitute the group at a meeting, in order to conduct the business of the city. For Prairie Village, that number is 8.

Agenda topics for city council meetings are set weeks to months in advance of the meetings, which are held on the first and third Monday of each month. While council members are encouraged to attend all meetings, other obligations – work, travel, family commitments, illness, or social engagements – can prevent council members from attending meetings. However, city business is not put on hold until all members can attend. If a quorum is present at the meetings, business continues. Six of 23 meetings had all council members in attendance in 2024.

Download a PDF of these questions and answers