Cooper City approves up to $1 million contract for public-safety facility design work

Cooper City commissioners voted to award a contract to CPZ Architects to produce a design-criteria package for a potential new public safety facility and an administrative building, with a not-to-exceed amount of $1,000,000.

The manager described the work as a multi-phase project: Phase 1 would assess police and fire facilities to determine whether they should be remodeled or replaced; Phase 2 would evaluate site footprint and parking needs; Phase 3 would produce a 30% design to allow for selection of construction delivery. "This project is in 3 phases," the city manager said, and staff estimated the first three phases at roughly $675,000.

Several commissioners acknowledged the cost but said the study and design work are necessary to avoid stagnation and to ensure facilities meet future needs. "It's an architectural plan that gets us to the point of going to the construction," one commissioner said, urging the city not to delay planning. Another commissioner voiced concern about the timing and the city's fiscal pressures from state-level proposals, but the motion to award the contract passed by roll-call vote.

What the contract covers: design criteria, facility condition assessments, footprint and parking analysis, and a 30% design package. The contract does not itself fund construction; any construction project would return to the commission for separate approval.

Next steps: CPZ will begin the study phases and report findings to the commission, which will decide on remodel vs. replacement and whether to proceed to final design and construction procurement.