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O'Fallon updates police training campus: range, EVOC track and classrooms near completion
Summary
City staff gave a detailed construction update on the Castle police training campus — a multi-component site that includes a 200-yard outdoor firing range, one-mile EVOC track, simulated 'shoot house' and a 27,000 sq ft classroom — and answered residents' questions about hours and noise.
City staff on Tuesday walked the public works board through the Castle police training campus, detailing progress on ranges, training buildings and site infrastructure and answering questions about operations and neighborhood impacts.
Chris, the project presenter, described the site as a multi-use training campus centered on an observation tower with a rappelling wall and an elevated shooting position, a 20-lane outdoor firing range with bolt-trap and centrifugal lead-collection, a 10,000-square-foot simulated shoot house and a 27,000-square-foot classroom building that can be partitioned for multiple training groups. He said the EVOC (emergency vehicle operations course) track is about one mile long with rolling terrain, a four-way intersection and signal controls linked to the control tower.
The presenter said earlier phases are complete: phase 1a grading and site preparation finished in 2024 and the 200-yard firing range was completed in 2025. He showed site grading and a retention pond he described as roughly 12 to 15 feet at its deepest and noted all structures are built above the required floodplain elevation. He also said a new 12-inch water main was installed along Highway 79 and sized for future tie-ins.
Resident questions focused heavily on noise and hours. When asked whether the facility will operate 24/7, Chris said it will not and that live-fire hours now typically cut off around 4 or 5 p.m. to limit noise, though final operational hours are pending. He noted the city added acoustical treatments to the indoor range in October. One resident said, "It's loud... I'm, like, a mile and a half away," and flagged concern that outdoor live fire and siren use would be audible in nearby neighborhoods.
Board members asked about regional access and operations. Chris said the facility will be operated by a board of directors staffed by O'Fallon and St. Charles City and that those entities—who hold essentially a 50/50 partnership—will determine use agreements and pricing for outside agencies; he said multiple agencies have already used the site informally and that the Eastern Missouri Police Academy is expected to relocate some training there. "This is gonna be a one-stop shop that'll be specifically for O'Fallon and St. Charles City," the presenter said, adding that the site could support other agencies' training in future.
The board discussed scheduling a group tour once construction nears completion. The campus remains under active construction in phase 2, with staff aiming to have concrete pours and EVOC track work ready for a March showcase training tied to a St. Louis–area conference.
The board closed the segment with no formal operational decisions; staff said more specifics on hours, staffing levels and contracts with outside agencies will come as the operations board finalizes policy and pricing.
