- November 21, 2024
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The city of Ormond Beach is pursuing the construction of a new joint police station and emergency operations center — and it has now identified a consultant for its upcoming space needs analysis.
During a workshop on Tuesday, May 7, city staff announced it will bring a contract before the City Commission for approval to hire JL2 architecture for the $200,000 study. The firm has completed 8,300 projects in Volusia County, with over 300 taking place in the city.
"They've done police stations, they've done fire stations, they've done operations center," Public Works Director Shawn Finley said. "So this is why we're recommending utilizing this company."
Constructing a new police station and EOC was identified as a top public safety priority by the Ormond Beach City Commission in 2019 and 2023. In 2020, the city conducted a relocation feasibility study. The space needs analysis is the next step in the process.
What is the analysis meant to do? It will help define the scope of the project by addressing current and future needs, along with answer questions about possible locations and how much the project could cost.
"Getting that further detail will help us to show that we are serious about doing this project," Finley said. "It'll put some skin in the game on our behalf and it will help us to get some additional funding from other sources."
While the governor vetoed a city funding request for $1.45 million in 2023 for a new police station and EOC, the city was successful in acquiring state funds this year.
The city is expecting to receive $1,451,875 in legislative funding through a Department of Economic Opportunity grant.
The city's previous estimate of $51 million for the project, Finley told the commission, was a ballpark figure. A space needs analysis, he said, would help develop an accurate cost estimate.
"We can't go out for funding if we don't have accurate cost estimates," he said.
One possible location for the joint police station and EOC is a 115.52-acre city-owned site east of I-95 by Pineland Trail.
What about the current police station at 170 W. Granada Blvd.? City Manager Joyce Shanahan said the city "certainly needs some sort of presence in the downtown." The commission, she said, will decide what that will look like.
"We will impress upon them (the consultants) the importance of keeping that presence in the downtown," Shanahan said. "We don't want anyone in this room or in the community to think that we're going to abandon the downtown."
The original police station was built in the downtown in 1972. The current 21,000-square feet police station was rebuilt onsite in 2001.
