Council gives consensus to design, bidding of police precinct remodel to house new positions

Spokane Valley officials agreed by consensus on April 8 to move forward with design and bidding for a remodel of the Spokane Valley Police Precinct intended to provide office and locker space for newly authorized officers.

Deputy City Manager Eric Lamb and Police Chief Dave Ellis told council the phase‑1 positions authorized earlier this year require additional workspace. Staff proposed a base bid that reconfigures the precinct to relocate the Spokane Valley Investigative Unit into current traffic and forensics spaces, move traffic into patrol areas, and expand locker and gym space. The base work also includes creating office space for new patrol lieutenants and larger workstations for sergeants.

The base bid is estimated at approximately $1,089,000. Staff provided two alternates: Alternate 1 would demolish existing holding cells to make additional SVIU workstation space (estimated $175,000); Alternate 2 would demolish an office in the current patrol area to improve efficiency for future traffic staffing (estimated $92,000). Combined cost for the base bid plus both alternates is about $1,355,000. Staff told council they have $1.5 million set aside for space planning and related facility needs; after the space‑planning contract (about $122,000), $1,378,000 would remain and staff recommended using those funds for the remodel if bids come in at or below estimates.

Lamb emphasized the base bid meets the immediate needs for phase‑1 positions while allowing time for a longer‑range space study to proceed. He said some future needs identified in the earlier matrix study — for example, more detective workstations — would require demolition of the holding cells and are therefore covered by alternates. Council members asked questions about schedule and construction management capacity; staff said they would include construction management in the project budget because internal staff capacity is limited. Bids are anticipated this summer with construction finishing in the December timeframe if the schedule holds.

By consensus, council directed staff to proceed with design and bidding using the base bid and both alternates. Council will have the opportunity to decide which alternates to accept at bid award time.

No formal roll‑call vote was recorded in the meeting minutes; staff requested direction and council provided consensus to move forward.