IT’S BEING USED AS DIVISION 5 COURTROOM
Platte County and the City of Platte City have agreed to extend the county’s lease on the former City Hall building at Fourth and Main near the courthouse.
The lease extension will cost the county considerably more in monthly rent than the original terms did, however.
Platte County has leased the old City Hall at 400 Main for use as a courtroom since December of 2024, during renovation of the Platte County Courthouse. The county believes its courthouse renovation work is months away from being ready to house the courtroom that has found a temporary home in the old City Hall.
The county has requested the city extend the current lease agreement for an additional three months with an amended termination date of Sept.30. The agreement also includes options for two month-to-month options after that, which would take a deal out to the end of November.
Monthly price of rent will triple, moving from $1,500 for the terms that ended June 30, to $4,500 per month for the new agreement.
All other elements of the existing lease remain unchanged.
The rent is increasing substantially because the city has plans to renovate that building, and has been putting that renovation on hold to accommodate the county’s desire to house the Platte County Circuit Court Division 5 courtroom in the former City Hall while courthouse remodeling is ongoing.
The county and city originally penned a six month lease from Jan. 1 through June 30.
The city’s long term plan for the old City Hall building is to convert it into a community room, replacing the Lions Club building and the former Civic Center community space.
The renovated building would also provide a base for city support of downtown events.
Funding for the planned renovation is a city/county matching grant through the Platte County Parks Partnership grant program. The renovation work was scheduled and funded in the city’s 2024-25 budget, but extending the lease will prevent city renovation of the building in the current fiscal year.
“That delay may actually be a benefit as it will allow the Downtown Master Plan to be completed prior to renovation of the 400 Main Street building,” wrote DJ Gehrt, interim city administrator, in a report to city officials.
Gehrt also pointed out that renovation of the building will be delayed into the next fiscal year, the city will need to complete roof repairs prior to winter.
The increased monthly rent of $4,500 will generate a minimum of $13,500 in revenue for the city for the additional three months of use. If the agreement is extended on a month-to-month basis for the final two months, total revenue for the extension will increase to $22,500.
City documents indicate the city finds that leasing the property to Platte County under these terms is “mutually beneficial and would support the efficient use of public resources.”
