Oro Valley staff outline phased plan to convert purchased Oracle building for police use

Oro Valley staff updated the Town Council on March 2 about plans to convert the recently purchased building on North Oracle into a larger police facility and outlined a phased, user-driven design intended to reduce cost by reusing existing structure.

Paul Melcher described an integrated, grassroots design process that parcels the facility into roughly 20 user-driven areas (patrol, booking, training, CIU and other functional spaces). "We're using about 70% of the existing building," Melcher said, noting that retaining existing walls and rooms could generate substantial cost savings compared with a full rebuild.

Why it matters: Council members asked how much the conversion will cost, how the current police building will be used after the move and what uses might occupy remaining space at the new site. Staff said dispatch (Kencom) will remain at the new building and that additional departments with space needs (the water department was mentioned) could be candidates for relocation after final layout decisions.

Staff described a modular approach: initial work will focus on highest-priority spaces and then proceed in phases to control costs, with consultants brought in after the June layout and code review. Melcher and police leadership said they are seeking to economize by reusing building elements and to avoid long multi-year construction phasing where possible.

Council members asked for more detailed cost estimates and clarity about how the existing building would be repurposed; staff said they would return with up-to-date cost estimates, a construction/phasing plan and options for filling remaining space after the police move.

The update was informational; council did not make a budget vote at the session. Staff said they would present refined layouts and cost estimates in coming months and continue community outreach to ensure transparency on the project timeline and departmental moves.