Johnson County is expanding its health services with a new building on the Sunset campus in Olathe.
The Olathe Planning Commission last Monday unanimously approved the preliminary site development plan and final plat for Johnson County’s new health services building near 119th Street and Ridgeview Road.
The 130,000-square-foot building will be located on the county’s existing Sunset campus and will house services by the county’s Mental Health Department, Department of Health and Environment, and the Department of Aging and Human Services Nutrition Program.
“It (the new building) provides capacity,” said Johnson County Commission Chairman Mike Kelly. “We’re a growing community, and having additional opportunities to be served by the Department of Health and Environment, Department of Mental Health, and aging and human services is crucial as our community continues to grow.”
The new building will be located near the current health services building, which houses some county offices and Evergreen Senior Living, a nursing home that is planning to relocate. The county expects work to start on the new building in the spring.
In an email to the Post last week, Johnson County Facilities Director Tony Barron said the project’s design phase will continue through mid-2025. Barron added that the county anticipates that construction crews will begin preliminary site work and temporary utility work late in the first quarter of next year.
The project cost is estimated at $113.5 million, with $93.5 million coming from debt funding by county bonds. The county will use one-time funding for the remaining $20 million.
Here are two additional design renderings:
Barron anticipates that construction will continue through mid-2027, with the facility being fully operational by the third quarter of that year.
“Because the new construction is working around the existing facility, the project will require a phased site development and phased move-in approach,” Barron said.
Kelly said it’s “a good time” for the project because the county has the available funds to pay for it.
“We’re ready to make the investment as our county continues to grow, and we have the support of the board, which I think is really heartening, that the board sees the value of this investment for our community’s future,” he added.
The building would replace the aging Olathe Mental Health center and be built at the site of the existing Health Services Building at 11875 S. Sunset Dr.
“We thought the Sunset campus is a good location,” Kelly said. “It’s central to the county and is also in conjunction with other county service buildings.”
Both existing facilities were built in 1996. Olathe Mental Health, at 1125 W. Spruce St., is 36,000 square feet, and the Health Services Building is 90,000 square feet.
“This new facility will bring together a broad range of health services provided by the county into one location,” Barron said. “It is a great opportunity to support those services by designing functional, accessible spaces that improve the experiences of all visitors and staff utilizing the facility.”
More history on the project: Johnson County Commission considers new facility to replace aging mental health, health services buildings
