KTA Administration Building

Challenge

The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) Administration Building project was initiated to address the need for a modern and efficient facility to replace the existing office building, which had been occupied for more than 50 years with minimal upgrades.

Solution

The project consisted of a new 12,000-square-foot facility consisting of administrative offices, engineering offices, customer service center, conference/training rooms and retail sales. The site includes a parking lot to serve staff, customer and community needs, storm detention areas and pedestrian paths. Storm shelters are provided in the facility for the protection of the occupants. The building structure is steel, stone and concrete with exposed areas in reference to the concrete and steel used for the construction of the KTA highways. The building functions will be separated with access control systems to guide building workers and visitors to the appropriate areas.

Value

The project has been constructed on a previously vacant lot owned by KTA, and in a prominent location for vehicular traffic exiting the Kansas Turnpike. This part of Topeka was a central commercial and retail area in the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, many of these businesses have relocated to the west side of Topeka. It is believed that this prominent building will help booster the “Bring Back the Boulevard” initiative to revitalize this area of Topeka, be more welcoming to people entering the city at the south entrance and provide more eating, entertainment and retail opportunities for the residents living on the east side of Topeka, as well as visitors. The facility will also consolidate KTA staff from three existing facilities for improved efficiency and provide 40-50 new jobs in the community.