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Commission approves donation of 11.72 acres for South Central mental health hospital
Summary
The county accepted an 11.72-acre land donation from the Lane Community Foundation for a state-operated South Central Regional Psychiatric Hospital, with conditions on use, escrowed protections, and a timeline tied to state funding and construction milestones.
The Sedgwick County Commission approved a land-donation agreement with the Lane Community Foundation that will provide 11.72 acres at McArthur and Meridian for the South Central Regional Psychiatric Hospital, a state-operated facility designed to open with 104 beds.
Assistant County Manager Tanya Cole said the parcel is valued at $1,424,359 and described terms that protect the donor and the county if state funding or construction does not proceed as planned. "This is a donation of 11.72 acres valued at $1,424,359 by the Lane Community Foundation," Cole said while summarizing escrow deposits, estimated special assessments and the state's role in funding construction.
Cole walked commissioners through the selection process, which began with an RFP and produced several shortlisted sites. She said the governor and Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) approved the project design and additional state funding, bringing total funding to date to about $107 million, with a later $26.5 million state appropriation used to expand to 104 beds.
KDADS Deputy Secretary Scott Bruner, participating by video, thanked the commission for its partnership. "I'm really proud of the partnership," he said. Commissioners discussed workforce and access concerns, noting the benefit of locating services closer to Sedgwick County residents than existing distant facilities. Commissioner Dennis emphasized that the county had taken an unusual role of building a state-run facility to address local needs and avoid long transports to distant hospitals.
The agreement requires the county to deposit $180,680 into escrow at closing (on or before Aug. 31, 2024), pay $40,105 to the county's designated agent for closing work, and implements special-assessment terms for infrastructure that the state will fund through operating appropriations. The deed also restricts use: the property must be owned and operated by the state as a psychiatric hospital for at least 30 years; the property cannot be used as a jail, prison or correctional facility; and the county must complete construction and open the hospital for intended use no later than Jan. 1, 2029, with interim reversion or liquidated-damage provisions if milestones are not met.
Commissioners voted to approve the land-donation agreement by roll call.
The county staff timeline calls for completing construction documents in October 2024, bidding in November, selecting a contractor in December and starting construction in February 2025, with an anticipated completion of August 2026 for the initial phase and phased delivery of the remaining beds thereafter. The state will cover many operating and infrastructure costs as indicated in the agreement.
The commission's action authorizes the county to accept the donation and proceed with the due-diligence, escrow and closing steps specified in the agreement.
