Rezoning and a preliminary plan for the future Lenexa Justice Center were approved by the City Council Tuesday night.
Why it matters: The move paves the way for final approval next month and construction scheduled to start in September on a project that has been in the works since 2019.
Where will it be? The new center would be built on 36 acres at the southwest corner of Prairie Star Parkway and Britton Road.
- Once complete, the city’s police department and municipal court would relocate there – a move of about four miles from their current home at 12400 w. 87th Street Parkway
- The new location is almost two miles south of the new City Hall, which also was moved from the same building complex on 87th Street Parkway about five years ago.
- The new justice center’s prospective site is surrounded by a residential area to the north, a medical office building to the east, the yet-to-be-built Vista Village Townhomes to the west and warehouses to the south.
Details: Plans call for the justice center building to be 32 feet at its highest, with the intent to preserve trees and vegetation along Prairie Star Parkway.
- The new police and court building was conceived to meet increased needs for space and staff as the city develops to the west.
- It will include a 53,000-square-foot building for police and courts as well as a 23,000-square-foot building for police training.
Bigger picture: Before the City Center development was built, with its new city hall and recreation center, much of Lenexa’s municipal presence was at 87th Street Parkway or in Old Town.
- The city may keep a presence at the 87th Street Parkway building once police and courts move out, but plans are still in the brainstorming stage. There are currently no plans to sell it.
- The Lenexa Community Center and Senior Center in Old Town also are in line for a makeover, with construction scheduled for this winter.
- The council unanimously approved the measures with little discussion.
Roxie Hammill is a freelance journalist who reports frequently for the Post and other Kansas City area publications. You can reach her at roxieham@gmail.com.
