Plan have been revealed for the construction of a joint police and fire department training academy in El Paso.
What is expected to be a $79.1 million project will go up on open space in the city’s North Hills, just off Martin Luther King Boulevard and at the end of Officer Andrew Barcena Drive.
With the overall site measuring around 1,400 acres, it is thought that the new academy will comprise anywhere from 50 to 100 acres, with the unused land serving as a noise and view buffer for North Hills residents.
According to city documents, the project, which will also include a new headquarters for the El Paso Fire Department, will enter the design phase later this year, with construction expected to begin next July.
The facility will house an indoor shooting range, classrooms, a simulation room, auditorium, gymnasium, swift water rescue pool, and mock courtroom, among other amenities.
The exterior of the structure will feature fire training props and an emergency vehicle training area.
Funding for the Police and Fire Joint Training facility was overwhelmingly approved by El Paso voters in the fall of 2019 as part of a larger $413 million public safety bond.
If all goes as planned, work on the new facility will see completion in January of 2024.
By Garry Boulard
