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Consultants tell Goldsboro Station 1 is beyond useful life; combined public‑safety facility could cost $52M–$65M
Summary
Consultants found structural and HVAC failures at Station 1 and recommended either extensive repairs (effectively rebuilding) or new construction. A combined public‑safety center concept (police + fire) was estimated at roughly $51.7M–$65M and would require 9–12 acres; council asked staff to keep studying options and funding.
Consultants presented engineering and programmatic assessments for Goldsboro’s public safety campus on Sept. 22, concluding the existing Station 1 shows systemic building‑envelope, mechanical and structural deterioration that has contributed to repeated mold and HVAC failures.
"The building envelope is in very unhealthy condition," Ben Lewis of Kairos Project Group told council after explaining cracks in masonry, failing insulation and aging chilled‑water piping that has reached the end of service life. He said addressing only HVAC components would not fix the underlying problem because water intrusion through a compromised envelope will recur unless the envelope is repaired or replaced.
Bapa Construction and Davis Kane Architects presented space‑program options and rough‑order‑of‑magnitude estimates. Standalone options produced these indicative ranges: a single new fire station (about 37,000 sq ft) in the $25.6M–$31.1M range; a standalone police station (about 53,000 sq ft) in the $28.8M–$35.2M range. A combined public‑safety facility — consolidating shared functions and reducing duplicated space — was estimated at roughly $51.7M–$65.0M and would require approximately 9–12 acres depending on configuration and site conditions.
Fire and police leadership told council they have outgrown current spaces and raised concerns about safety, evidence storage and personnel morale. The police chief said consolidating shared capabilities — such as a joint emergency operations center and consolidated evidence storage — could be operationally beneficial. Fire leadership noted apparatus movement and bay/workspace needs that make the current downtown footprint limiting, and both chiefs said the existing facility’s physical problems remain an ongoing operational concern.
What happens next: consultants said remediation of the existing complex would likely approach a near‑rebuild and that site selection and financing must be examined before any large capital commitment. Council directed staff to continue work, pursue additional site feasibility and to revisit the matter later this year and in a February retreat so funding strategies (including possible inclusion with other large capital needs in future bond considerations) can be coordinated.
