Sedgwick County could tear down Judge Riddel Boys Ranch buildings

Sedgwick County could soon demolish the abandoned facilities at the shuttered Judge Riddel Boys Ranch.

The county is seeking bids for the demolition of buildings and recreational features on the property near Lake Afton, according a request published this month. If that happens, the property would be converted to park land for the county’s Lake Afton Park.

The ranch, at 25331 W. 39th St. South near Goddard, opened in the 1960s. The county operated it as a youth residential center for troubled boys on behalf of the state.

It closed in 2014 after the Kansas Legislature decided not to increase funding as requested by the county. The county sought but received no proposals to lease the ranch property that year.

Last year, the county issued two separate requests for proposal to sell or lease the property. All bids for both requests were rejected.

So it has sat vacant for more than two years, except for the occasional tour by county staffers, interested nonprofits and news reporters.

Steve Claassen, the county operations support services director, said the county continues to do routine maintenance on the facility.

Chairman Dave Unruh said the county shouldn’t continue to pay for upkeep on a building more than 50 years old.

“We need to get rid of those expenses, raze it and turn it back to park land,” Unruh said.

The emphasis in juvenile corrections has moved to community programs instead of out-of-home placements, Unruh said.

Sedgwick County began an alternate program in 2015 to treat juvenile offenders inside the county and intensify the way families are involved in youths’ rehabilitation. Like the ranch, it’s named after Judge James V. Riddel.

“This ends up being the right decision at this time,” Unruh said.

Commissioner Jim Howell campaigned on keeping the boys ranch open when he ran for the commission in 2014. He says facilities like Judge Riddel Boys Ranch can still be effective at rehabilitating troubled youth.

“This is an extremely sad conclusion to JRBR,” he said, referring to the Judge Riddel Boys Ranch. “I wanted to see something good come out of that property.”

“It’s a remnant of what we once had,” Howell added.

Howell said the county is left with few options because of the unsuccessful requests for proposals and rules tied to a federal grant that helped build the facility.

“At this point, our only option is to raze it,” he said.

County commissioners are scheduled to vote May 10 to award the demolition contract.

The contractor would remove all electric, gas, sewer, water and cable lines before demolishing the main building, gymnasium, sheds, animal corrals, shop building, swimming pool and other facilities.

Demolition would briefly stop around Memorial Day and the Fourth of July because of increased holiday traffic at Lake Afton Park.

This story was originally published April 18, 2017 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Sedgwick County could tear down Judge Riddel Boys Ranch buildings."