Note: This information was last updated after May 26, 2016 and prior to the public safety sales tax vote on Nov. 8, 2016.

On May 26, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners voted to place two public safety priorities on the Nov. 8 ballot: a new courthouse & coroner facility to be funded by ¼ cent sales tax. Here's the approved ballot language: 

Shall the Board of County Commissioners of Johnson County, Kansas, for public safety projects, adopt and impose an additional one-fourth (1/4) of one-cent countywide retailers’ sales tax in Johnson County, Kansas, to be levied from and after April 1, 2017, for a period of ten (10) years, ending on March 31, 2027, with the revenue from that tax to be distributed as required by law to the county and to the cities in Johnson County, and the county share to be used to fund the costs of construction and operation of public safety projects, including the construction of a courthouse building and a coroner facility, together with the costs to demolish the existing courthouse, and for the costs of programs and facilities related to those projects, including the courts, administration of justice, and District Attorney?

Fall general election information

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 general election is Oct. 18.

Advance voting will take place Oct. 24–Nov. 7 at the following six locations:

• Hilltop Learning Campus, 7700 W. 143rd St., Overland Park, KS 66223
• Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS 66212
• Johnson County Northeast Offices, 6000 Lamar, Mission, KS 66202
• Johnson County Government Sunset Building, 11811 S. Sunset Dr., Olathe, KS 66061
• Johnson County Election Office, 2101 E. Kansas City Rd., Olathe, KS 66061
• Okun Fieldhouse, 20200 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, KS 66218

Visit jocoelection.org for additional election information.

Despite snow, ice and rain, crews finished a tunnel construction project under Santa Fe Street in downtown Olathe 10 days early.

Drivers in the area encountered a detour during the project. The project was originally scheduled for completion on April 18, 2019, but the road reopened on April 8.

An underground tunnel runs from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Central Booking Facility (101 N. Kansas Ave.) to the Johnson County Courthouse (100 N. Kansas Ave.). This project created a branch off the existing tunnel leading to the new courthouse, currently under construction on the northeast corner of Santa Fe and Kansas Avenue. The tunnel is used to securely transport inmates.

Construction began on Feb. 12. Crews put in weekends hours to come in ahead of schedule.

“The project team met with staff from the city of Olathe regularly to discuss progress and next steps. This was a very cooperative effort,” said Dan Wehmueller, project manager. “The contractors did a great job exceeding expectations with plenty of pre-planning, communication and hard work.”

The construction project was extensive.

Following the street closure, crews sawcut the pavement and excavated across the street, north to south at a 45-degree angle from the new building.

After reinforcement and the placement of formwork, 347,000 cubic yards of concrete were poured for the foundations, walls and lid. After the 200+ ft tunnel was waterproofed and backfilled, crews began street repairs. From Kansas to Cherry, the street was milled and repaved. The street reopening included repair to the impacted landscaping, brick pavers and curbs.

The impacted area was on Santa Fe between Chestnut Street and Kansas Avenue. Barricades closed sections of Santa Fe to through traffic at the following locations:

1. In the westbound lane just west of Chestnut Street.
2. In both lanes of traffic just west of Cherry Street.
3. In both lanes of traffic just east of Kansas Avenue.

Detours in the area routed eastbound traffic on Santa Fe south on Kansas Avenue, east on Loula Street and north on Chestnut Street back to Santa Fe. The detour route for westbound traffic on Santa Fe took drivers south on Chestnut Street, west on Loula Street and north on Kansas Avenue back to Santa Fe.

The following traffic was impacted:

• Vehicles traveling northbound or southbound on Chestnut Street could not head west on Santa Fe.
• Vehicles traveling westbound on Santa Fe past Water Street detoured north or south on Chestnut Street.
• Vehicles traveling eastbound on Santa Fe past Walnut Street detoured north or south on Kansas Avenue.
• Vehicles traveling northbound or southbound on Kansas Avenue could not head east on Santa Fe.
• Vehicles traveling north on Cherry Street past Park Street could only travel east on Santa Fe.

The tunnel was constructed as a part of the new courthouse project which is funded by a quarter-cent public safety sales tax voters approved in November 2016.

The new Johnson County Courthouse is across Santa Fe Street north of the existing courthouse and west of Olathe City Hall. The address is 150 W. Santa Fe St. The 356,821 square feet, seven story courthouse building includes 28 courtrooms, secure in-custody circulation, state of the art technology, public gathering spaces and a parking lot.

Work remaining within the J.E. Dunn design-build contract includes demolition of the current courthouse and the development of a county square.

The cost is $193 million. The design/build team is led by JE Dunn Construction. The architects are TreanorHL & Fentress Architects.

Johnson County voters approved a 10-year, quarter-cent public safety sales tax to fund the project.

The new courthouse addresses issues of concern for the community and residents, and it:

• Separates inmates and criminal defendants from victims, witnesses, jurors and others in courthouse corridors.
• Replaces the aging, overcrowded courthouse with a more efficient, high-performing building.
• Is fully Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.

The courthouse will meet Johnson County's judicial needs for more than 75 years as the county expects to add 10,000 residents each year. Its design will also allow for the addition of additional courtrooms later as needed.

Since the creation of Johnson County in 1855, the county court system has occupied three different facilities. The current building has housed the Tenth District Court of Kansas for more than half a century.

In the beginning, Johnson County used space on the second floor of the Harry Case Building (built in 1859) as the county courthouse.

^{The first Johnson County courthouse, circa 1870. The first permanent courthouse in Johnson County was on the top floor of this building in Olathe. Photo courtesy of the Johnson County Museum.}

Then county voters approved a special tax to build the first official county courthouse at a cost of $36,414. Located north of the present courthouse, the three-story brick building opened in 1892.

The current courthouse opened in 1952. When construction began in 1951, the court system had only three judges. The county population was approximately 63,000. The facility had nine floors and almost 235,000 square feet of space. Besides the court system, the courthouse housed most county government departments.

^{The Johnson County Courthouse circa 1952. Photograph courtesy of The Kansas City Star.}

In 1954, the county made an addition to the building, followed by a third wing in 1968. By 1975, the courts had expanded to eight judges. The county population had increased fourfold — to more than 237,000 residents. In need of more space, the county added an eight-story tower onto the east side of the building.

^{Johnson County Courthouse, 1971. Photograph courtesy of the Johnson County Museum.}

Through the years, the building has evolved to address the continual need for more space. The jail moved from the fourth floor to new detention centers in Olathe and Gardner.

As of 2016, the courthouse had 19 district courts, four magistrate courts and three hearing officers. It saw about 400,000 visitors per year. It housed the law library, the Clerk of the District Court and District Attorney’s Office.

In 2005 and 2008, studies and master planning concluded the courthouse was “inadequate and fails to meet even the current space requirements of the Johnson County Courts.”

The studies cited inefficiencies in:

• Security, including movement, transportation and separation of inmates between visitors and court officials
• Costly mechanical systems
• Failing to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements
• Serving the general public

Studies also concluded that as the population grows, the county will need more space for court hearings.

^{Johnson County Courthouse, 1971. Photograph courtesy of the Johnson County Museum.}

Note: This information was last updated on the day the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners voted to place two public safety priorities on the Nov. 8, 2016 ballot.

Transcripts and videos from Board of County Commissioners and Committee of the Whole meetings on this topic are available online:

• May 26, 2016
• April 21, 2016
• April 14, 2016
• March 3, 2016
• January 28, 2016
• January 21, 2016
• December 17, 2015
• November 12, 2015

Today, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners voted to place two public safety priorities on the Nov. 8 ballot: a new courthouse & coroner facility to be funded by ¼ cent sales tax. Here's the approved ballot language: 

Shall the Board of County Commissioners of Johnson County, Kansas, for public safety projects, adopt and impose an additional one-fourth (1/4) of one-cent countywide retailers’ sales tax in Johnson County, Kansas, to be levied from and after April 1, 2017, for a period of ten (10) years, ending on March 31, 2027, with the revenue from that tax to be distributed as required by law to the county and to the cities in Johnson County, and the county share to be used to fund the costs of construction and operation of public safety projects, including the construction of a courthouse building and a coroner facility, together with the costs to demolish the existing courthouse, and for the costs of programs and facilities related to those projects, including the courts, administration of justice, and District Attorney?

Today, the Johnson County commissioners agreed to move forward on a new courthouse and coroner facility. The proposed funding is a 10-year 1/4 cent public safety sales tax. In May, county staff will bring back to the Board of County Commissioners language that, if approved by a vote, will be placed on the ballot for the November 2016 general election.

The current Johnson County Courthouse in downtown Olathe has housed the Tenth District Court of Kansas for more than half a century. The facility has gone through three additions and at least seven significant remodeling projects through the years, but continues to experience overcrowding conditions, accessibility and security issues, and demands for future space needs for additional courtrooms.

Experts, consultants and in-house county staff have analyzed more than 11 sites and 32 courthouse options since 2001. We have spent more than $1.7 million on studies over the last 15 years.

Studies and master planning in 2005 and 2008 concluded the courthouse is “inadequate and fails to meet even the current space requirements of the Johnson County Courts.” The studies cited inefficiencies in:

• security, including movement, transportation and separation of inmates between visitors and court officials
• costly mechanical systems
• failing to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements
• serving the general public

Click here for a 10-minute video that highlights the problems with the existing courthouse building and the proposed solution.

Studies also concluded that the county’s growth will require more space for court hearings in the future. When construction on the current courthouse building began in 1951, the county’s population was 62,783; today the county’s population is approximately 575,000 — a figure that’s expected to jump to 700,000 by 2025. Click here for a collection of photos that highlight some of the largest areas of concern with the existing facility.

Plans and discussion are now underway about how to move forward with the Johnson County Courthouse — the proposed solution is to construct a new 28-courtroom courthouse across Santa Fe Street north of the existing building. If plans to construct a new courthouse do not move forward, the county will need to renovate and add on to the existing facility while it is in use over the course of the next 13 years.

The Board of County Commissioners has discussed the courthouse project during several Committee of the Whole sessions; the next such discussion scheduled for April 14 at 11:00 a.m. The public is welcomed to attend Committee of the Whole sessions or watch them online here.

During a BOCC meeting in April, the commissioners will officially vote on whether or not to bring the project to a public vote in November.