Saline County and the City of Salina have jointly initiated a comprehensive study aimed at addressing pressing space needs and exploring potential future uses of downtown public facilities.
The decision to conduct the study stems from shortages in existing space, particularly within the City/County Building and Memorial Hall, coupled with the challenges of maintaining aging structures. TreanorHL\Olsson Studio has been selected to lead the study, tasked with analyzing space utilization and proposing viable options for reusing key downtown buildings.
Notable considerations include Memorial Hall's potential reuses and the exploration of alternative spaces for the General Services department. The City of Salina will contribute $100,000 towards the total study cost of $299,627, with Saline County covering the remainder.
The study is anticipated to deliver various options for downtown building use by January 2025, after which both entities will seek additional input before final decisions are made. Funding for the project is expected to be sourced from the Sales Tax Capital Fund, with $100,000 already allocated in the 2024 budget for Continuous Improvement process (CIP) Planning.
The decision to move forward with the study was approved by the City Commission, emphasizing a collaborative approach to address downtown space utilization challenges.