Public choice for new Salinas PD Headquarters design
We now have an idea of what the new Salinas Police headquarters might look like after the city revealed the public’s chosen design concept Monday evening.
The new police headquarters is expected to break ground later next year. The city wanted to hear from people about the design, but there’s still a lot that has to be done before construction begins.
The department says new headquarters have been needed for close to three decades.
“Not only have we outgrown it but the facilities are just rundown, they’re just beyond repair,” said Commander Stan Cooper, with the Salinas Police Department, “The place smells, we have regular power outages internally because the electrical system that’s there wasn’t intended for all of the electronic devices that we have now.”
Through community meetings and an online survey, people got to choose from three concepts being considered by the city. They say concept three, the more classic look of the options, is the clear winner.
“I think they see a familiarity, a warmth in the arches they call it the ‘mission style’,” said Don Reynolds with the city’s Public Works department, “It’s just a memory, it speaks to our culture and our heritage.”
The city says the surveys aren’t an official ballot. The deisign has to be presented to the city council, along with the mayor and police chief who have the final say. That means the final design could look a little different.
“We’re at that point right now with the design where we really just need to start focusing on one direction or another so that we can start tailoring what the building will actually look like and making sure that it fits in with our budget and the landscape,” Cooper said.
The city hopes the new headquarters will be a boost for police and the entire community.
“A catalyst project to spur investment and if the city makes the first investment, maybe private investors will follow,” Reynolds said.
The estimated cost for the new headquarters is 50 million dollars, money expected to come from Measure G.
The city wants to break ground in the summer and be finished by December of 2019.
