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Pembroke Pines officials pitch $155.5 million public safety complex, say bond ask would be about $80 million
Summary
Police and fire chiefs described aging facilities, evidence‑storage and hurricane‑safety shortcomings and urged approval of a new public safety complex. Staff presented an estimated total project cost of $155.5 million and a plan to borrow about $80 million after selling a city-owned affordable housing asset.
Pembroke Pines officials laid out plans for a new public safety complex and said they plan to ask voters to authorize borrowing to fill an anticipated funding gap of about $80 million.
Assistant Chief Rich Barnes and Fire Chief Marcelino Rodriguez told residents that the current combined police and fire facility—police space completed in 1991 and Fire Station 69 built in 1977—has been outgrown, lacks adequate evidence storage and workspace, and is not built to withstand major hurricane forces. Barnes said the department is “outgrowing our current facility and we need the capacity for growth,” and Rodriguez said the present building “is no longer suitable to house our firefighters.”
Assistant City Manager and finance director Lisa Chong presented the project cost estimates prepared by the architect and financial advisor: hard construction and site development plus soft costs and contingencies were shown in the presentation as a $155.5 million total. Staff proposed using proceeds from the planned sale of a city‑owned 400‑unit affordable housing complex (estimated about $55 million) and other offsets to lower the borrowing need to roughly $80 million. Chong said general obligation bonds would likely be the most cost‑efficient approach given the city’s high credit rating, and staff cited an illustrative interest rate of about 4.63% in modeling.
Under the staff model, the median taxable‑value homeowner would pay an estimated $1,536 over 30 years under the $80 million borrowing scenario (about $51 per year). Chong walked residents through an online calculator to let property owners estimate their individual share based on taxable value after exemptions.
Officials said construction would begin after financing is in place and that the design is at a 40% completion stage needed to solicit bids; Mr. Dodge (city manager) estimated a build time of 18 months to two years. The presentation said no displacement of current residents would result from the proposed sale of the affordable housing asset and that the buyer must continue to operate it as affordable housing.
During question and answer, staff said there are no identified grants large enough or appropriate to cover the project without onerous conditions; they also said the sale and all financing details would be confirmed before ballot language is finalized. No formal vote was taken at the town hall.
