Consultants recommend Duval use city‑owned land near Big Rock Ballfield for civic campus
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Summary
A consultants' study presented to council on Feb. 3 recommends siting a new public‑works maintenance yard on the southern parcel adjacent to Big Rock Ballfield and creating a 2.1‑acre civic campus at 271st Ave & Big Rock Rd for a combined city hall, police station and emergency operations center; funding options include bonds, real estate excise tax and grants.
Duval — Consultants wrapping up a yearlong facilities study presented final recommendations to the council Feb. 3, urging the city to leverage property it already owns adjacent to Big Rock Ballfield for a new public‑works maintenance yard and to create a civic campus for city hall and police at 271st Avenue and Big Rock Road.
Why it matters: City staff and consultants concluded the existing public‑works facility and police/city‑hall buildings are aging, undersized and carry maintenance liabilities. A consolidated civic campus and a relocated maintenance yard would address seismic, operational and space needs while freeing downtown parcels for private redevelopment.
Consultants said the typical needs for Duval’s public works are about 2 acres of land and roughly 20,000 square feet of building; the southern parcel adjacent to Big Rock Ballfield performed best against site criteria because it minimizes impacts to neighboring residences and tree canopy. For city hall and police functions, the recommendation favors a civic campus on a 2.1‑acre site at 271st Ave & Big Rock Rd, with room for parking, community meeting space and an emergency operations center.
Funding options cited in the presentation included bond financing, use of real‑estate‑excise tax revenue, utility funds for portions of the project that serve enterprise operations, and targeted grants (USDA community facilities, FEMA emergency‑operations grants, and Department of Justice programs for public‑safety equipment and training).
Council members asked about available funds: finance staff noted unallocated balances in utility funds that could cover a sizable portion of maintenance‑yard construction and that a bond would likely be limited to city hall and police components. Consultants emphasized next steps: finalize space needs, refine cost estimates, select a funding strategy, and engage the community early in design.
What’s next: Council has the study for direction; staff will refine cost estimates, identify funding pathways and begin public engagement ahead of design work.
