Richland council approves purchase agreement for downtown building to replace police station
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Summary
Richland’s City Council voted unanimously April 7 to approve a purchase‑and‑sale agreement for 1200 Jadwin LLC at a negotiated price of $7,750,000 to site a replacement police station; staff will proceed with due diligence, appraisal and financing planning.
The Richland City Council unanimously approved a resolution April 7 authorizing a purchase‑and‑sale agreement for a downtown building at 1200 Jadwin that city staff propose to renovate as a new police headquarters.
Deputy City Manager Joe Shishel presented cost and space analyses developed by an outside consultant, saying the property was listed at $7,945,000 and a negotiated price of $7,750,000 was reached with the seller. The draft agreement includes $45,000 in earnest money and two contingencies for structural review and an appraisal; if either reveals material problems, the city can terminate the agreement and recover the earnest money.
Shishel and staff said the existing police station, built around 2000, is crowded (about 19,000 square feet) and that the consultant estimated a space need of a little over 52,000 square feet for long‑term departmental needs. Staff proposed renovating the 1200 Jadwin site to meet immediate needs and preserve long‑term municipal space, while exploring financing that could include proceeds from anticipated land sales and councilmanic debt.
Council members pressed staff on square footage, evidence storage, detainee processing and how financing would work if expected land‑sale revenue did not materialize. Police Chief Pilcher invited residents to a departmental open house and staff said a ClearGov FAQ page with project details and cost estimates would be published the next morning.
Council member Meyer moved to approve the resolution; Council member Jones seconded. The vote was unanimous. Staff will enter a due‑diligence period that includes structural and appraisal contingencies and return to council with financing details and public outreach materials.
Votes at a glance: Council also approved the consent calendar (minutes and routine items) and an ordinance amending 2026 capital budgets for water, sewer and streets; the appointments to the Richland Planning Commission were approved by consent.
The meeting adjourned at 08:22 p.m.
