Topeka ? State officials hope to have a clearer picture later this fall about the cost of renovating the Docking State Office building near the Statehouse and the future space needs for state employees.

Secretary of Administration Howard Fricke told a legislative building committee Friday he hoped to have a better idea of what it would cost to renovate Docking, which is west of the Statehouse, by October.

Earlier estimates have placed the cost of renovating Docking and the older Landon building, which is east of the Statehouse, at between $60 million and $100 million. Legislators must sign off on any proposal to renovate or replace state office buildings.

“We are approaching a life-safety issue in both buildings, and something needs to be done,” Fricke said.

Architects GLPM, of Lawrence, are conducting the review at a cost of $89,000, Fricke said.

Renovating Docking and applying the new standards could mean the state would be able to consolidate Landon employees in Docking and look for other uses, Fricke said, including turning the building over to private developers.

Caleb Asher, spokesman for the Department of Administration, said recent renovation and movement of the Department of Transportation to the Harrison Center had freed space in Docking. And application of new space standards meant more free space in Harrison.

Currently, Docking is home to the Department of Revenue, Capital Police and Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Landon houses the state treasurer’s staff, Department of Corrections, Department of Administration and the division of budget, which will return to the Statehouse when its renovation is complete.

The state purchased the Landon building in the 1980s, which was previously the headquarters of the Santa Fe railroad. Fricke said deferred maintenance to that building made it inefficient for the state to renovate it to current standards.

Docking, however, is structurally sound, Fricke said, and it is anticipated that it could be renovated cheaper than replacing it and Landon combined.

“If you don’t do anything to Docking, it makes no sense to look at Landon,” he said.

Rep. Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, said officials also must consider the expense of temporary housing for those agencies if they were moved out of Docking during a renovation.

“I think we need a capital area plan to know where we’re going. Piecemeal never works,” Neufeld said.

Other legislators questioned why the state appeared to have surplus office space when there was a concern about lack of facilities during Gov. Bill Graves’ administration.

Asher said the agency instituted a better property management system to get a clear picture of how much space and how much it was spending annually for leases.