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Broomfield outlines $80 million police building plan; architects present 84,500‑sq‑ft schematic and phased court work
Summary
City and County of Broomfield staff and architects described schematic designs, an estimated $73 million construction contract cost and roughly $80 million total project estimate for a new police building; the city has selected a construction manager and will return to council with a guaranteed maximum price after preconstruction services.
Katie Allen, Broomfield’s director of community development, and architects from Anderson Mason Dale presented a schematic design and cost estimate for a new police building at a City and County of Broomfield study session, describing a two‑story, roughly 84,500‑square‑foot facility, an estimated $73,000,000 construction contract and a total project estimate just under $80,000,000.
Allen told council the design work is about a quarter of the way through the design‑development phase and that the city has selected FCI Constructors as the construction manager/general contractor to provide preconstruction services. Allen said the CM/GC preconstruction contract is roughly $110,000 and will support iterative cost estimating, constructability reviews and recommendations during design; the goal is to bring a guaranteed maximum price from the CM/GC to council in the May time frame and begin construction after that contract is finalized. The architect, James Taylor of Anderson Mason Dale, described program organization, sustainability features and site layout.
Architectural and program highlights presented to council included: - Size and program: the building is drawn at about 84,500 square feet, two stories, with a public entrance on the south, a secured motor court and about 100 additional secure parking spaces; program elements include an enlarged evidence and forensics area, vehicle storage, a real‑time crime center and a consolidated communications/911 center. (Katie Allen; James Taylor) - Costs and schedule: architects and staff presented an estimated construction contract (GMP) of about $73,000,000 and an estimated total project cost just under $80,000,000 (including furniture, contingency, utility relocations and construction support). The team said modern market benchmarks produced an estimated cost near $871–$900 per square foot and that the proposal is in range of comparable front‑range projects. The stated construction schedule target is an 18‑month build after start of construction. (Katie Allen; James Taylor) - Procurement and next steps: the city has engaged FCI Constructors for preconstruction; the CM/GC will refine costs during the design process and bid work for subcontractors when construction documents are complete; staff expects to present a construction agreement/GMP to council in May. (Katie Allen) - Sustainability and resiliency: the design targets an Energy Use Index under 40 for a 24‑hour facility, an all‑electric heat‑pump HVAC approach with limited gas backup, photovoltaic canopies over portions of the secure parking, EV‑ready conduit, and reduced glazing vulnerabilities via elevated window sills and ballistic glazing strategies in critical ground‑floor zones. (James Taylor)
Council members pressed for detail on program choices, costs and sequencing. Clarifications provided in Q&A included: - Fixtures, furniture and equipment estimate: Allen confirmed the roughly $2.25 million FFE estimate is a typical industry factor for a new building of this size and is intended for building fit‑out (not for regular police operational equipment such as weapons or patrol radios). (Katie Allen) - Phasing for courts: staff said the courthouse upgrades will be phased and will not receive full build‑out in the initial bond package; the project timeline is coordinated with defeasance of existing COP bonds and the city’s requirement to spend 85% of bond proceeds within 36 months. (Katie Allen) - Security details: the design team outlined ballistic‑protection approaches for ground‑floor occupied workspaces (UL 752 Level 3 glazing and hardened opaque walls where feasible) and elevated window sills to reduce direct line‑of‑fire exposure while still admitting daylight; the architects cautioned no building can be made invulnerable but said they will employ industry standard protections. (James Taylor)
Staff said they will hold neighborhood meetings during design to present construction logistics and that community outreach information will be public once the CM/GC is onboard. The presentation materials, cost benchmarking and CM/GC recommendation will return to council for formal action when the construction agreement/GMP is ready for approval.
Sources: staff and architect presentations and council Q&A at the study session; cost and schedule estimates are design‑phase figures and are subject to refinement during CM/GC preconstruction and final GMP negotiation.
