The City of El Paso has issued a Request for Statements of Qualifications for the eventual construction of a new police department headquarters.
The move comes more than four years after voters in November of 2019 approved a $413 million public safety bond designed to fund several police and fire department facility projects.
The largest project to be funded by the bond is the $90.6 million construction of a new police department headquarters, to replace the existing facility located at 911 N. Raynor Street.
According to public presentations made by city officials on the part of the bond, the new four-story police station will measure around 100,000 square feet and will be Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.
The current two-story station was built as a Sears store in the late 1940s before becoming the renovated headquarters for the El Paso Police Department in late 1988.
That aging building has had a host of structural issues and is thought to not be up to modern police standards.
Now, according to the newly issued RFQ, El Paso is seeking consulting services for the facility programming, design, and construction of a new headquarters.
The chosen firm will be required to have a “proven track record in designing law enforcement facilities that are secure, technologically advanced, and community oriented.”
An emphasis will especially be placed on a design that prioritizes functionality, security, and sustainability.
It is expected that the City will evaluate project submissions by March 28, with a general target date for approval set for some time in May.
By Garry Boulard
