Kansas Highway Patrol presents Salina campus needs assessment, seeks $51.7 million for initial phases

Merle Bridal, executive officer of the Kansas Highway Patrol, told the Joint Committee on State Building Construction that a facility needs assessment required by House Bill 2551 (2024) found the Salina campus is aging, undersized and presents life‑safety and operational concerns. Consultants from Clark Enersen Design and Dewberry recommended a partial consolidation of KHP functions to a new campus (their "Option 2") with a preliminary cost estimate of about $416.6 million; the patrol is requesting up to $51.7 million in state general funds for initial phases.

The assessment, conducted after interviews, site tours and room‑by‑room programming, concluded the agency’s existing Salina campus and three other Salina‑area sites total about 188,000 square feet but that the Kansas Highway Patrol’s 25‑year projected need is roughly 375,000 square feet and could require between about 60 and 187 acres depending on the option selected. Consultants identified urgent needs including an undersized and non‑storm‑proof dispatch center, outdated dormitories that do not meet current ADA expectations, insufficient training classroom technology, inadequate storage across troops, and a driving course that is about 1 mile long while the programmatic need is a minimum 3‑mile course.

Why this matters: the report says the dispatch facility presents the most immediate life‑safety and continuity‑of‑operations concern because it is in a building that was not designed as a dispatch center and would be taken off‑line by certain storm events. Consolidating many functions on a new or redeveloped campus also would reduce travel time between dispersed facilities and could improve training capacity.

Consultants described four planning scenarios: a full reconfiguration on a single new campus (Option 1), a partial reconfiguration that consolidates most functions on a new campus while retaining the firearms range and central evidence at existing locations (Option 2, consultant recommended), rebuilding the Marymount campus while retaining other sites (Option 3), and a limited renovation of existing facilities without meeting 25‑year needs (Option 4). Estimated preliminary costs presented in the briefing included: Option 1 about $443 million; Option 2 about $416.6 million; Option 4 about $116.4 million. The report also showed phased costing for Option 2 on a large private site ("Site D") with priority phases and estimates: a new dispatch center about $24.9 million (priority 1), Troop C headquarters and Troop S training/storage about $26.8 million (priority 2), relocation of the training academy about $258 million (priority 3), and a 3‑mile driving course about $106.4 million.

Rick Wise, principal with Clark Enersen Design, summarized the facility scores and planning implications, saying the campus has been maintained but most buildings scored below 2 on a 1–4 condition scale and would need major renovation or replacement. Jonathan Tallman, principal with Dewberry, summarized programming work and operational impacts: "Dormitories need to be definitely modernized...they don't meet any of the ADA requirements that are today," and he described the dispatch center as "a significant life safety issue" because it was not designed as a dispatch center.

Sites analysis and land issues: the study evaluated eight potential sites around Salina. The three highest scoring were the Kansas State University Salina site (Site A, roughly 72 acres with about 30 acres available for KHP use), a Kansas National Guard site (Site B, about 16 acres), and a privately owned large site identified as the "water well" site (Site D), which is large enough to accommodate all program elements including a driving course. The consultants noted Site D is private property and some parcels may already be under other development (a portion has been dedicated for a convenience store), which would require land purchase; state properties such as KSU Salina or the National Guard parcels would reduce or eliminate land purchase costs but can present other constraints.

Agency position and funding request: Bridal said the agency concurs with Option 2 but acknowledged the full $416.6 million estimate is likely out of reach. The agency asked the committee to approve up to $51.7 million in state general funds for initial phases (the new dispatch center and Troop C facilities) and said it would return to the legislature in future years for additional funding for training academy and driving course phases. Bridal advised the committee the Marymount College campus (occupied by KHP since 1994) was not built for law enforcement operations and that state law requires at least three appraisals before a sale of state property. He also noted the legislature had previously considered related funding (the governor recommended $10 million last year; the legislature amended that and then the governor vetoed the appropriation), which led to this comprehensive assessment.

Committee questions and next steps: several committee members asked about site C (Salina Airport parcels), ramp and highway access, flood/drainage concerns on Site D, and whether the driving course might be located on an old runway. Agency staff and consultants said some questions (drainage, traffic access, precise land availability) would require follow‑up engineering and property studies if a site is chosen. Bridal said, if initial funding is approved, the agency would enter formal discussions with KSU Salina, the Kansas National Guard and KDOT about land use, shared utilities and parking to reduce project costs; the agency would also obtain appraisals for the possible sale of the Marymount campus.

Votes and formal actions: the presentation was informational to the Joint Committee on State Building Construction and no committee funding vote was recorded at this meeting. Bridal and agency staff formally requested legislative funding up to $51.7 million for initial phases; the committee did not take a recorded action during the presentation.

The agency and consultants said more detailed site engineering, appraisals and cost refinement would be needed before any procurement or construction decisions. The committee took the presentation under advisement; agency representatives said they will continue negotiations and return to the Legislature for subsequent funding requests.