Police commission gets update on Public Safety Campus, EASER 2014 bond

Samuel Choi, Public Works project manager for the Public Safety Building, told the Police Commission on April 2 that the Public Safety Campus is on track and that the Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response (EASER) 2014 bond would fund staged moves out of the seismically unsafe Hall of Justice.

The presentation summarized the project components: a new police headquarters, a relocated Southern District Station, a new Fire Station 4 and support facilities. Choi said the Public Safety Building is "on target to, a ribbon cutting in November of this year" and that substantial completion was anticipated in June or July 2014. He described a memorial installation in the lobby — a 9‑foot diameter glass cylinder hung in the two‑story entry — and explained plans to relocate existing memorial plaques to the new headquarters.

The slide deck shared cost estimates and priorities. Choi said EASER 2014 would propose allocating approximately $30,000,000 toward district‑station improvements drawn from a total estimated need of about $253,000,000 based on facility studies. He also described a separate project for the Traffic Company and the Forensic Services Division at the 1995 Evans site with a combined project budget of $165,000,000, and roughly $11,900,000 budgeted for furniture, fixtures and equipment for that facility. Pre‑construction for the Evans site was described as anticipated to start in fall 2014 if the bond passes in June.

Commissioners stressed staging, noting it would be impractical to finance a simultaneous move of all agencies out of the Hall of Justice. John Goldberg, speaking for department logistics, said moving everyone at once would cost roughly $1.5 billion; Commissioners and staff described the program as a series of staged steps tied to bond approvals (EASER 2010 and 2014, and a potential later bond envisioned for 2021) and state funding opportunities. Several commissioners emphasized the urgency for first responders while acknowledging that courts, probation and jails would move later under a long‑range plan.

The presentation also reviewed facility study materials that will inform which district stations receive incremental renovations, comprehensive renovations, or full replacement because of seismic deficiencies, ADA and accessibility gaps, gender‑equity issues in locker rooms, and other building system upgrades.

The commission had no formal vote tied to this presentation; commissioners thanked staff and requested additional follow‑up materials and site visits to view the construction progress.

The commission moved on after the briefing; next steps include continued schematic design, public updates tied to bond outreach, and the city's capital planning process that will determine subsequent phases.