Prairie Village is taking its discussion of a potential new city hall into the new year.
For the first time in 2024, the Prairie Village City Council is set to discuss tentative plans to build a new city hall, capped at $30 million, at its Tuesday meeting.
This is also the first discussion about city hall plans with newly elected city councilmembers, several of whom expressed skepticism about the project last year.
No formal action will be taken Tuesday because the city hall discussion will only take place in committee, which means participating councilmembers typically take no formal action.
Staff recommends against two previous council requests
- The city council in November 2023 asked city staff to have the design team working on the new city hall project to look at keeping municipal court in the council chambers.
- Additionally, the city council wanted to look at including underground parking at the new city hall.
- City staff recommended against both plans for underground parking as well as double usage of council chambers.
- Among other reasons laid out in city documents, both ideas come with a higher cost — an additional $1 million for a municipal court in council chambers and another $6 million for underground parking.
A look at the option the city council previously favored
- The city council on Nov. 6 directed city staff to move forward with design option 3E, which came with a cost range of $28.6 to $30.2 million.
- This option calls for the municipal court to move next to the police department, on the site where city hall currently sits.
- It would be a one-story structure totaling about 24,000 square feet, including a 5,600-square-foot municipal court addition near the police department.
- City staff and the police department both favored this option, as well.
How to tune in
- This month, due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Prairie Village City Council meets on Tuesday, Jan. 16.
- The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at city hall, 7700 Mission Road.
- Those who wish to watch from home can do so by visiting the city’s live streaming webpage here.
Go deeper: Prairie Village looks to remake city hall and police HQ
