Sedgwick County nixes Murfin Plaza as possible site for government offices

Sedgwick County government is still in search of a long-term home for its administrative offices.

On Wednesday, the County Commission nixed one potential option — purchasing and renovating Murfin Plaza at a combined cost of just over $33 million.

A refund is in order on the $25,000 earnest money payment the county made in August after four of five commissioners decided against the $7.75 million purchasing option presented by staff.

That leaves two alternatives — renew the existing lease at the Ruffin Building on North Broadway or construct a new building at Third and Main Street that would house the Board of County Commissioners, county clerk, county counselor, county manager, finance, human resources, register of deeds, county treasure, facilities and records management.

Commissioner Jim Howell was the only member who favored relocating to the space currently occupied by David Murfin’s drilling company at 250 N. Water.

“It’s a great location. It checks every box,” Howell said.

“The building is not a new building but we can fix every problem that it has. It meets all of the needs, and my opinion is it’s the best deal for the taxpayer.”

Commissioner Sarah Lopez said she’s concerned with the age of the building, which was constructed in 1983.

“We’re looking at a building that’s 40 years old and we know what the cost is going to be with renovation, which I think is significant,” Lopez said. According to staff, almost $13 million of renovations would be required before departments could move in, including a new HVAC system and new elevators, and millions more in other costs.

Since leaving the county courthouse in 2022, the government has paid $58,503 a month to rent space from casino magnate Phil Ruffin. That lease expires in 2025, but Assistant County Manager Tania Cole told commissioners Ruffin is willing to extend the lease at the same rate for another seven years to 2032.

A seven-year lease would cost the county almost $5.8 million. Cole estimates a 50-year option at the Ruffin Building would cost just below $53 million — significantly more than either renovating Murfin Plaza or opting for a new build.

Staff presented a $41.2 million option and a $31.3 million option for a Third and Main Street office site for commissioners to consider.

The less expensive option would downsize from four floors to three and relocate the treasurer, register of deeds and parks office to the Ronald Reagan Building just west of the new facility on Third Street.

“I think it is more important for our offices to be in closer proximity to the commissioners, to the legal team, to the finance team, because our staff interacts with these offices on a daily basis,” County Treasurer Brandi Baily told commissioners.

She said a new building makes the most sense to her.

“I’m looking more towards the future and where are we going in the future? I don’t want to find something that just, it fits our needs at this moment. I think it’s important we look at going 50, 100 years from now,” Baily said.

Lopez said there are added benefits to building a county government building so close to Wichita City Hall on North Main.

“If we’re thinking long-term what government can look like, and if we really want to get to a smaller government that we’re more effective and we’re more efficient with our tax dollars, unified and collaborative government between city and county is where it needs to go,” Lopez said

“This is a great way, if we have it all in a local government campus where we can just walk across the street, I mean it makes ease-for-access for our residents so much better.”

Commissioner David Dennis chimed in to point out another benefit of starting from scratch.

“If you build a new building, you can be very wise on a lot of subjects — not only the layout of the building, but also how to make this thing environmentally cost-effective,” Dennis said, noting that solar panels on the overhang outside the Sedgwick County Zoo’s visitor center help power the building.

“This is something that we are going to pay for now but it’s going to benefit generations in the future,” Dennis said.

Howell was adamant that renovating an existing space is the most responsible use of taxpayer funds.

“I like shiny new things. We all like shiny new things,” he said.

“I’ve talked to as many people as I can to get this message out, and I have never heard someone tell me yet they think we should build a brand new building. They want us to do our job and do it efficiently and effectively.”

The commission had until Nov. 30 to make a decision on whether to move forward with purchasing Murfin Plaza. It’s not yet clear when commissioners will narrow down its remaining options.