Columbia announces new $11 million police headquarters
The Columbia Police Department is getting an $11 million new facility where the longstanding Aflac building now stands on Laurel Street, just in front of the Columbia Canal.
Columbia’s new Law Enforcement and Judicial Center will be home to the city’s police department and its various units. Eventually, the Columbia Municipal Court and the Emergency Management Office will also be in the new facility.
The $11 million price tag covers the first phase of the project, which will consolidate most facets of the police department into one facility and will see the building redesigned and upfitted for its new use. The Municipal Court and Emergency Management Office would be added in later phases. The city did not have a cost estimate for the later phases of the project.
“We are really spread out all over this city, and not by design,” said Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook during a Thursday event to announce the new project. Holbrook was flanked by his fellow Columbia Police Department officers, as well as Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and other city leaders.
The police department’s current headquarters at 1 Justice Square on Lincoln Street was built in 1913, and renovated in 1997. It has just 32,000 square feet, Holbrook said. Columbia Police are spread across 11 different locations in the city. The new facility is 172,000 square feet.
“The fact we are so spread out creates a number of issues,” from logistics to communication and workflow, Holbrook said.
The new facility will centralize the police department’s staff, hosting the Metro Region headquarters, the police administration, the criminal investigations unit, the community services bureau, the victim’s advocate office, an accessible front desk, the department’s training center and more.
The building will also have self-serve cafes on multiple floors for employees, an employee fitness center and showers and locker rooms.
Most of the buildings currently holding different police department units will be sold, Rickenmann said. About 13 properties will be for sale as the police department centralizes its staff, including 1 Justice Square, and the Metro Region Headquarters at 1800 Main St.
“It’s also really great for recruiting, to show that we’re invested in our law enforcement,” Rickenmann added.
Holbrook reflected on his almost 10 years as Columbia police chief and said he might get emotional while speaking because he was so moved by the city’s investment in the department.
“The culture of excellence, the high standards and expectations that we have of each other, as well as the history and the traditions of the police department will be evident on every floor,” Holbrook said.
City Manager Teresa Wilson said work is already underway to transition the Aflac building to its new use, but “the real work” will begin in January. The city will likely hire a construction manager for the project by April or May, Wilson added.
Wilson also said the $11 million price tag is only a starting estimate, and that she believes the cost of the project could go down, saying the Aflac building is a “turn-key” facility that won’t need to be completely redesigned.
The police department has four geographic regional headquarters. The Metro Headquarters will be hosted in the Aflac building. The other three regional offices may also be moved to new buildings. Holbrook said the department is in the middle of realigning its police districts and once that process is finished, they can begin looking for new facilities in the appropriate region.
This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 11:51 AM.
