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Sedgwick County weighs $35M plan to consolidate Comcare services into one campus
Summary
Comcare and facilities staff proposed buying or building an ~80,000‑sq‑ft campus to consolidate seven leased locations, reduce annual lease costs (~$1.08M) and improve client access and staff retention. Commissioners asked for quantified savings, revenue‑fund assumptions, and debt‑service analysis before endorsing the project.
Comcare and county facilities staff on Monday outlined a multi‑year plan to consolidate most Comcare programs into a single campus, promising operational efficiencies but triggering questions about scale, costs and who would ultimately cover debt service.
Facilities staff said Comcare currently spends about $1,081,423 a year on leases and that a consolidated facility would be roughly 80,000 square feet. The preliminary CIP budget used a $350 per square foot estimate for new construction, producing a construction budget “just over $35,000,000,” with land acquisition or remodeling funds proposed for 2026 and architectural design in 2027. Staff said the earliest construction could begin is 2028, aligned with lease expirations.
Joan, representing Comcare leadership, described Comcare as one of 26 community mental health centers and one of 25 certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs) in Kansas, serving more than 12,000 individuals annually. She argued that consolidation would improve client access, enable warm handoffs between services, strengthen recruitment and retention and reduce vulnerabilities that come with renting — including deferred maintenance and sudden sales that disrupt services.
Commissioners pressed for a detailed cost‑benefit and debt‑service analysis. Staff said much of the revenue that now pays leases comes from Comcare’s program revenue (billing, Medicaid/Medicare) rather than general property tax dollars and suggested that the revenue fund could be used to pay bonds; staff estimated average bond and interest costs at about $2.9M per year over a 20‑year period, with the possibility of reassigning revenue currently spent on leases to debt service. Commissioners asked for clearer scenarios showing (a) savings if revenue covers debt, (b) the impact on property‑tax funded operations if revenue weakens, and (c) alternatives such as leasing or purchasing an existing office versus new construction.
No vote was taken. Staff said the project is currently included in the tentative recommended CIP and will be presented for project authorization if the commission signals support — with a June 17 deadline to confirm placement in the 2026 CIP process.
