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Council approves police building GMP and architect amendment; some residents urge underground parking
Summary
Council approved a guaranteed maximum price of $67,090,837 for a new 85,000-sq-ft police building and a consultant amendment to the architect's contract; staff said the structure will target a 21-month build and April 2028 occupancy, and explained that underground parking was not pursued due to high cost and geotechnical constraints.
The City Council approved two resolutions on July 14 authorizing a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and an amendment to the architect agreement for the police building expansion. Katie Allen, director of community development, described the planned two-story, approximately 85,000-square-foot facility on the southeast corner of Tacoma Drive and East Third Avenue.
FCI Constructors provided a GMP of $67,090,837 for construction of the project; staff said that amount is within the city's budget and lower than initial estimates. Allen said the project is designed with solar-canopy PV, three EV chargers installed and additional EV-ready spaces, cross-laminated timber to lower embodied carbon, and an expected energy-use index of about 46.6 compared with a typical 77.1. The project schedule calls for a July site mobilization, a 21-month construction period, and an anticipated move-in date of April 2028; a groundbreaking is scheduled for July 21.
Council unanimously approved the GMP amendment (resolution 2026-67) and the architect amendment (resolution 2026-88). Public commenters asked why the design does not include underground parking. Staff answered that structured parking costs roughly $75,000 per space and underground parking would be "exponentially higher," and noted geotechnical considerations (shifting soils) and project-budget tradeoffs. Allen said the secured area includes 238 parking spaces and that campus-wide parking will be evaluated for future structured solutions if needed.
Staff also described an incentive-sharing mechanism in the contract: if construction costs come in under the GMP, the savings are shared with 60% to the city. Councilors praised the energy and accessibility features and directed staff to continue campus planning for parking as appropriate.
