Replacing the old and crowded Johnson County courthouse in Olathe could cost up to $442 million, an architectural consultant told county officials last week, far more than the original estimate of $192 million.
County commissioners have not decided how to finance the project to replace the existing courthouse, which was built in 1952 and has been remodeled six times.
Consultant Stephen Carter said the new courthouse would cost between $305 million and $442 million, depending on how the project proceeds.
Building the entire structure now but leaving some areas unfinished until needed would be the cheapest option, Carter said. The most expensive option involves building the project in phases, with the first phase completed by 2014 and final completion in 2030.
The county currently has 23 judges for a population of slightly more than 500,000 residents, but expects to need 36 judges to serve a population of 730,000 by 2030.
Johnson County’s debt, including general obligation bonds and lease revenue bonds, is rated triple-A by Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service. The county says it is one of fewer than 40 counties in the country with an unenhanced triple-A bond rating.
