Architects show three designs and $139M budget estimate for Fort Myers police headquarters

Architects Design Group presented schematic designs and program needs for a proposed Fort Myers Police Department headquarters at Fowler and Market, laying out three elevation options for a building that the firm described as a Risk Category 4 essential facility under the Florida Building Code. The schematic program listed roughly 179,406 square feet with space for a community/training room, dispatch, a real-time crime center, an evidence lab, K-9 facilities and a firing range. The team recommended generators and system redundancy to enable 72 hours of off-grid operation in major events.

ADG's architect Rick Mullis told the council, “This is a risk category 4 essential facility per the Florida building Code.” The team presented a construction estimate of about $102,000,000 for building costs, plus site development, FF&E line items, an $8,450,000 tech package and a 7.5% contingency that together brought a current schematic-phase total to roughly $139 million. Staff and the design team said June 2027 remains the target move-in date, subject to final GMP and Construction Manager inputs. Council members questioned glazing, resilience measures, sustainability options and whether the design allows efficient future expansion; architects said the preferred growth strategy is horizontal expansion to the north rather than costly vertical additions.