Salina and Saline County seek public input for downtown government buildings

Salina and Saline County are looking at reimagining the government spaces shared between them downtown and want the public's input.

A series of study sessions by the governing bodies of both the city and county happen this week, leading to a public open house with initial concepts Thursday night.

These study sessions, which are considered open meetings to the public, are being led by consulting group TreanorHL, for government campus master plan visioning.

The first two study sessions will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, and from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 203 N. 10th St., just west of Memorial Hall.

The final study session will be from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Salina Arts Center, 242 S. Santa Fe Ave. Later that same day, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., will be the open house at the Arts Center.

A come-and-go event, the public is encouraged during the open house to look at the initial concepts that will be taken from the study sessions and provide direct input.

"Members of the leadership team and consultant team will be on hand to answer questions," the county said. "Gathering the public’s feedback is a critical piece of this process.

"One of the primary goals for this project is to create a cohesive and efficient campus master plan. To do this, community engagement and input play a large role in reviewing initial design concepts to ensure the final recommendation reflects the future vision of the campus."

Which Salina and Saline County government buildings will be discussed?

According to a flyer released by the county about this visioning, the city and county have shared the city-county building space, which is used as both a "city hall" and "county courthouse" since 1969.

"As the needs of both agencies have changed, space in this shared facility has become premium real estate," the flyer said.

The downtown area studied includes the City-County Building, Memorial Hall, the Salina Police Department and former Saline County Jail and Sheriff's Office, Saline County Health Department and more facilities and spaces.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina and Saline County seek public input for downtown government buildings