The Palmetto Police Department wants a new address.
Chief Rick Wells and city leaders are currently discussing where they could put new headquarters.
Wells said they’ve outgrown their current space on 10th Street West, which they’ve been in since the 1960s.
“We have a lot of areas that we are concerned about,” said Wells. “Our detectives are in a very small office and they need more room to operate. Our dispatch center needs to be expanded and we’re just so spread out right now. We are trying to occupy any area we have available.”
Wells said it’s time for something new and is pushing to get a new building. He said their current building is outdated and in need of costly repairs.
Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant agrees.
“We were spending large sums to continue maintenance of the current facility,” she said.
The chief is hoping to move a few blocks down the road, to a piece of property the city already owns located in the 500 block of 10th Street West.
“We think we’ll be able to have officers in and out of our office, going through these 'hot spots,' as we call them, and deterring crime just by being in that area,” Wells said.
The mayor said she thinks this is a good idea.
“It’s pretty much a known fact that as you locate law enforcement closer to the crimes occurring, it helps to alleviate some of the slum and bad blight that’s inherent with a high crime area,” said Bryant.
The city is considering a multiple-story building with between 16,000 and 18,000 square feet. They’re hoping this would give them room to grow over the years and make everyone proud.
“We want to have a building that the citizens are proud of and the officers are proud of,” Wells said.
The Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency and Palmetto Police Department are working together on this project.
The CRA retained the services of Palmetto firm Ugarte and Associates to provide a spatial needs study for the department. The firm met with staff, performed questionnaires, and compiled data for the recommendation of a proposed new law enforcement facility.
The Palmetto City Commission approved the conceptual space needs and has authorized the CRA and PPD to draft a proposed Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) for public sector developers.
“Estimating around 200-dollars per square foot, the proposed structure may cost in the neighborhood of 3.6 to 4 million dollars,” said Wells. “Our plans include an evidence room, limited administrative offices and a private space for professional victims advocacy.”
The CRA hopes to spur private sector redevelopment in its area with the project.