County Commissioners unanimously approved a 3-year lease agreement that will temporarily move several departments from the Sedgwick County Courthouse to the downtown Ruffin building.
The move is necessary thanks to courtroom expansion at the Courthouse. The search for lease space began back in October. The number of suitable buildings began at seven then was narrowed down to four, based on convenience to public, best value and adequate space. The Ruffin building at Douglas and Broadway was the winner and it will cost the county $702,032 annually to lease over 43 thousand square feet of office space there.
Several departments, including the county commission, the treasurer's office and the register of deeds will move in June to the first and sixth floors. The lease officially begins on July 1 and will expire June 30, 2025.
Under the agreement, the county receives 110 stalls in the parking garage. There will be 10 stalls for county visitors there, along with 15 surface parking spots to the north of the Ruffin building.
The county is using ARPA funds for the lease and moving costs.
Chairman David Dennis gave county staff 30 days to come up with a plan for where these departments will go after the lease expires. That could be a new building or finding the necessary space elsewhere.
We also learned today a little more about the remodel project that will take place at the Sedgwick County Courthouse. The designs for the $7.019 million project are underway and should be complete between April and June. Construction will be complete between April and December 2023.