Future Fort Lauderdale Police Headquarters will include community center

Fort Lauderdale – This city’s future police headquarters will be more than a location for law enforcement.

It will now include a community center, an important part of the project where various community groups can meet, hold events and discuss issues.

“We will offer the community a place to hold meetings they feel are necessary. We will welcome civic associations. It will give us the chance to host events for the community and engage with families and children,” said Lt. Adam Solomon, police spokesperson.

“We will have art contests and events such as Coffee with a Cop. It will give us a chance to bond with the community and bridge the gap between law enforcement and residents.”

The city commission has hired AECOM, an architectural firm, to develop the design on the building.

Moss Construction has been hired to serve as the construction management team.

Both firms have a local presence and are beginning the process for the new structure which will be at the same site as the existing headquarters, 1300 W. Broward Blvd.

At this time, city officials said there is no rendering of what the facility will look like.

“It will be a whole new way of life. We recognize the challenges of law enforcement and we want a bigger and better building,” said Solomon.

The new facility will be three stories with 186,000 square feet. There will also be a multi-level garage, paid for with the $100 million bond approved by voters in 2019.

With the increase in available space, the police will be able to relocate personnel and facilities to the new headquarters, including an evidence warehouse and firearm training facilities.

“We recognize the challenges that people in law enforcement are facing and we want to provide a better building for them to work from,” said Solomon.

Officials hope to break ground on the garage in September of this year and complete construction by the end of 2023.

The garage will be built first and users will be able to gain direct entry to all three levels of the headquarters.

The community building will also connect to the headquarters.

Eastbound drivers on Broward Boulevard will see the community center first when approaching the headquarters.

The current building will be demolished and the land will be used for a portion of the community center and a new access road, according to Solomon.

Officers will work in the current building until the new headquarters is complete. The community center and an access road will be the final phase of construction.

The current police headquarters was built in 1958 and has 85,000 square feet.

“It is a tribute to our officers that they have been able to work effectively with the facility they have,” said Solomon.

Assistant Chief Luiz Alvarez said, “We are extremely excited about the future of our new police station for all those that work and visit our headquarters. The professionalism of our police employees and the community partnerships we have long developed will be outwardly visible in a state of the art police department.”

Commissioner Steve Glassman is pleased that work on the headquarters is beginning.

“The existing police headquarters is beyond inadequate and not safe. We need a state-of-the-art facility for everyone who works there. This will show that we take public safety seriously,” he said.

Glassman said the new police headquarters will make a strong statement to the community that the City of Fort Lauderdale is committed to law enforcement.

“We asked the voters to approve a $100 million bond for a new headquarters and they approved it. The city has grown a lot since the current headquarters was built and we need a larger and updated facility.”