When will state officials call a halt to the government building boom in downtown Topeka?

It’s may be human nature to put your own needs above the needs of others, but it’s frustrating for Kansans, who see many unmet needs across the state, to watch the amount of taxpayer money being spent on construction projects in Topeka.

While state legislators are inside the capitol debating whether to spend money on public schools, state universities, social services and highways, a $125 million capitol renovation project is under way outside. Renovations to the east wing of the Capitol, the section built from 1866 to 1873, probably are warranted to maintain the historical structure. However, even people who have struggled to find a parking place near the capitol when the Legislature is in session might question how essential the 550-space underground parking garage under construction on the north side is to conducting government business. That question seems particularly apt in light of the budget-squeezing that is going on in many other areas of Kansas government.

At the same time, the Kansas Department of Transportation is preparing to move into its new headquarters in the former Security Benefit building in downtown Topeka. The building cost the state $18.5 million to purchase and $10.8 million to renovate. Then there’s the $2.2 million it paid for used furniture there and the $500,000 to $1 million it will take to move KDOT.

There are other building projects potentially waiting to suck up more state money. The state now must decide what to do with two major office buildings — the Docking building, which now houses KDOT, and the Landon building. Both buildings have been allowed to fall into such disrepair that it may be more economical to tear them down and rebuild them than to renovate them.

It’s true that other state buildings have been constructed across Kansas, including a number on university campuses. However, few university buildings are funded these days without private donations, and the sheer volume of construction in Topeka is notable.

The state should think carefully before pouring more money down this hole. First, it should consider just how much office space the state needs within a reasonable time frame. Computerized record-keeping should drastically reduce the space needed to store and process paperwork. And, in the current lean times, the state shouldn’t be adding so many employees that it requires significant new office space.

Before building new structures in Topeka, the state also should revisit the suggestion that came up some months ago that some state offices might function just as efficiently in some other Kansas city. Modern communication certainly makes it easy to conduct business across the state, and there are many cities that could benefit economically from being home to a state agency and the jobs it provides. Some cities might even have existing buildings that could be utilized by the state at less cost than renovating or rebuilding state office buildings in downtown Topeka.

At a time when the governor and state legislators are insisting that most entities that receive state money tighten their belts and get more creative in streamlining their budgets and services, it’s only reasonable to expect state government to do the same. Maybe it’s time for the state to curb the current building boom in downtown Topeka.