Olathe’s long-planned new animal shelter has cleared its major development approvals and construction bids have been taken, but as of Aug. 20, visible construction has not yet begun at the future Animal Care Campus at the northwest corner of Santa Fe Street and Ridgeview Road.
The project has been years in the making. The Olathe City Council approved rezoning and the preliminary development plan in March for the Olathe Animal Care Campus, planned on approximately 7.44 acres at the former Sutherland’s and Jiffy Lube properties. The Planning Commission had recommended approval 7-0. (Olathe Legistar)
The new facility is expected to replace Olathe’s aging animal shelter at 505 E. Sunvale Drive, which has served the city since 1988. The current shelter is only about 4,000 square feet and has long struggled with limited space for animals, staff, veterinary care and public adoption visits. City officials have said the new campus is intended to address those shortcomings while providing a much more modern setting for animal care. (Olathe Legistar)
Plans call for a roughly 21,600-square-foot animal adoption and veterinary facility, more than five times the size of the existing shelter. The campus is expected to include expanded animal housing, dedicated quarantine and isolation areas, veterinary exam and surgical space, improved adoption and meet-and-greet rooms and outdoor areas designed for animals and visitors. (Olathe Legistar)
The price tag has grown substantially since the project was first discussed. Olathe initially budgeted about $15 million, later increased the project to $19 million and ultimately authorized $25 million. City documents say that money covers not only construction but also land acquisition, design, utilities, furnishings, equipment and other project costs. (Olathe Legistar)
Earlier this year, city officials said construction could begin during the summer of 2026. Nabholz Construction later solicited bids for the new animal adoption center and veterinary clinic, with documents showing an anticipated construction window from roughly mid-July 2026 through late August 2027. Those bids closed May 21. (Bid Banana)
But that projected July start date has come and gone. As of Aug. 20, there is no visible building construction underway at the site. The former Sutherland’s and Jiffy Lube buildings have already been removed as part of an earlier demolition phase, leaving the property largely cleared and awaiting the next stage of work. City records had anticipated demolition and initial grading work would be completed by the end of 2025. (Olathe Legistar)
That does not mean the project has been canceled or abandoned. City records continue to show the Animal Care Campus as an active capital project, and earlier schedules anticipated completion in the third quarter of 2027. The most recent construction solicitation likewise pointed to late August 2027. What is less clear right now is exactly when crews will begin the main building phase. (Olathe Legistar)
The approved development plan also leaves room for more than the shelter itself. The roughly seven-acre site includes space for future commercial development, meaning the redevelopment of the former Sutherland’s property could eventually bring additional businesses to the busy Santa Fe and Ridgeview intersection. (Olathe Legistar)
When completed, the Animal Care Campus is expected to dramatically change how Olathe handles animal intake, veterinary care and adoption. The city has said the new shelter will provide separate areas for disease isolation and quarantine, alleviate overcrowding, create better workspaces for staff and provide proper space for veterinary surgeries and sanitary needs. (Olathe Legistar)
For now, however, the most noticeable thing about the project is what residents aren’t seeing yet: construction equipment putting up the new shelter. The project remains approved and funded, the old buildings are gone and bids have been taken — but the next major milestone will be when actual construction begins at Santa Fe and Ridgeview.
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