Facilities in Platte City, Parkville will be sold
Platte County Health Department officials confirmed Monday they have approved the purchase of a $1.9 million building that will become the new site of the department’s headquarters, consolidating staff at two current buildings into one location.
The department’s board of trustees finalized the purchase of a building at 7925 N.W. 110th St., Kansas City in Platte County, in mid-April, said Natalie Klaus, Platte County Health Department public information officer. The location is just off N. Ambassador Drive, east of I-29.
The board approved using existing reserve funds for the purchase, Klaus said in an email.
The department eventually will move approximately 40 staff members, about 20 of which work at each location-to the new site, a 23-year-old building that measures 24,000-square-feet and sits on nearly five acres.
The consolidation of the services that currently exist at 212 Marshall Road in Platte City and 1201 East St. in Parkville will improve staff communications, she said.
The department’s current buildings are much smaller at about 3,750 square feet in Platte City and a little more than 5,000 square feet in Parkville. Both current locations rest on about one acre of land.
The Platte City location was built in 1970 while the Parkville location hails from 2000.
The building the health department is acquiring was built in 1997 and rests on nearly five acres, Klaus said.
While the extra land could allow for expansion of the site, she said staff had not discussed that possibility.
Careful consideration went into the new location, which is on a bus route for easy commuter access.
The health department will eventually sell the two currently used locations.
Department officials hope to move into the renovated building during late summer or early fall, 2021.
The new location will be renovated from its current state as a Montessori School and daycare, but specific details of the improvements only will be known after plans are finalized, Klaus said.
She added that walls, such as foldable partitions and child-size toilets, will be removed but other remodeling specifics are not yet known.
Officials are currently searching for an architectural firm to make the necessary improvements. Site visits for architectural firms interested in pursuing the project are scheduled for next Tuesday, June 23. Monday, July 13 is the deadline for submitting qualifications and proposals.