Council hears plan for new police headquarters, staff recommends $175 million bond on March ballot

City finance and public safety officials presented a multi‑year plan on Sept. 22 to build a new police headquarters at a city‑owned site on Spanish River Boulevard and recommended the council place a bond referendum on the March 10, 2026 ballot.

CFO and deputy city manager Jim Zervis said the existing downtown police headquarters (built in 1986) is undersized, spread across multiple locations and not built to current standards for secure, hurricane‑rated facilities. Staff presented a facility program designed to meet policing needs through 2045 and described the Spanish River site as operationally central with good access to major corridors.

Zervis gave three illustrative build scenarios: a 137,000‑sq‑ft facility for current needs (2025), a 153,000‑sq‑ft option for 2035 and a 163,000‑sq‑ft plan for 2045. Preliminary, conservative rough‑order‑of‑magnitude cost estimates (including contingencies and escalation) ranged from about $174 million to $193 million depending on final square footage and finish level; staff recommended an intermediate approach (build shell to 2045 square footage, fit‑out to 2035 requirements) and proposed a $175 million general obligation bond with roughly $15.2 million in general‑fund contributions.

The Financial Advisory Board (FAB) reviewed the proposal and recommended a different split (approximately $125 million in bonds with $65 million in cash); that was a 4–3 vote and the dissenters favored a larger bond size rather than a larger cash contribution. Zervis stressed the city can issue bonds in series (Series A, Series B) so that only the needed proceeds are drawn at each stage and any excess proceeds can be repaid early.

Chief Michelle Muccio described operational benefits: consolidating officers and specialized units now spread across seven locations into one modern headquarters would improve evidence storage, operations and training; the plan includes a 10,000‑sq‑ft downtown substation to maintain a public presence and services such as fingerprinting. The proposed building is designed as a hurricane‑rated structure with secured perimeters but with public entrances and landscaping to avoid a “fortress” appearance.

Council questions focused on operational continuity, the fate of the current downtown facility after relocation and the impact of cash draws on the city’s reserves and credit rating. Staff said the city would not vacate the old station until the new facility is operational and that financing could be staged to limit immediate impacts on reserves. Zervis noted that even with the proposed bond the city’s operating millage rate would remain below comparable full‑service Florida cities in the sample he showed.

What happens next: staff put a referendum resolution on the regular agenda for later that day; if the council approves the resolution, the bond question would go to voters March 10, 2026. Design, procurement and construction remain separate future steps and would return to council for approval if voters authorize the bond.

Key quotes

"Our existing police headquarters is not just beyond its useful life, it's undersized and really not adequate to provide for those future needs," Jim Zervis said as he described capacity and vulnerability concerns.

"We are proposing a $175,000,000 general obligation bond to fund the new police department headquarters and supporting facilities project on the 03/10/2026 ballot," staff recommended. — Jim Zervis

"Moving the headquarters will not decrease operational service downtown; patrol is zone‑based and officers' cars are their office," Chief Muccio said, explaining the operational model and adding that a downtown substation would be retained for public access.