Mayor, labor and city leaders dedicate Mission Bay Public Safety Campus; training academy named

City leaders, labor partners and department chiefs gathered as part of a program recorded during the commission meeting to dedicate the new Mission Bay Public Safety Campus and police headquarters and to announce a training academy and public‑art installations.

Oscar De La Torre, a labor leader who introduced the program, thanked project partners and said the academy would supply job training for local residents. Mayor Ed Lee described the complex as "a wonderful, wonderful place" and said the site ties together multiple first‑responder functions while providing career pathways for residents, particularly noting collaboration with labor and apprenticeship pathways.

The program named the training center the Mario Dela Torre Training Academy and highlighted partnerships among city departments, construction contractors and unions to create local hiring and apprenticeship opportunities. Fire Chief Joanne Hayes White said the project also added nine new firefighters assigned to Station 4 and recognized the voter support and bond measures that funded much of the work.

The dedication included remarks from the Arts Commission about two new civic artworks for the building's collection: a memorial to fallen officers, Bridal of Gratitude, and a plaza installation featuring a bell, a star representing core police values, and a living Serbian spruce. City officials asked neighbors for patience during the project's final adjustments and invited tours of the new facilities.

What happens next: project partners said the facility would begin operations and department staff would continue onboarding; the city will follow up with community meetings to showcase programming and apprenticeship placements.

Sources: dedication remarks and program comments recorded in the meeting transcript; quotations are taken from speakers at the event.