City updates council on police training academy schematic design and funding gap
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Summary
The bond office told the Nov. 10 Public Safety Committee that schematic design for the police training campus is 50% complete and a funding gap remains between current commitments and the $185 million project estimate.
Jenny Niswander, director of the bond office, updated the committee on the criminal-justice training facility and de-escalation center. She said supplemental agreement No. 2 was authorized for programming and design and the architect has completed 50% of schematic design; the office expects 100% schematic design in time for internal review by Thanksgiving and a public briefing in December.
On funding, Niswander said $50 million is accounted for in the 2024 bond program; fundraisers are targeting $70 million (with $21.5 million in firm commitments reported to date) and the state has committed approximately $25 million in grants. Committee members noted an apparent $45–50 million gap and asked for options; Niswander said fundraisers and the bond office are meeting biweekly and will present options in a December briefing to Public Safety.
Why it matters: The training academy and de-escalation facilities are capital priorities tied to police training and operations; identifying reliable funding sources and timelines affects project delivery and related training operations.
The committee did not take immediate action; staff said they will present a fuller funding plan in December.