Proposed New Police Department Facility
Project Overview
The City Council appointed an Ad Hoc Committee consisting of Council Members Noah Blom, Sara Weber and Michelle Barto to explore and evaluate potential locations and conceptual designs for a new Police Department facility. As proposed, the project would include a new police headquarters building, support facilities, and a parking structure. The proposed project reflects the City’s ongoing commitment to maintaining safe, modern and efficient public safety services and infrastructure.
Over the course of several months, the Ad Hoc Committee considered multiple sites, including previously identified City-owned property at 1201 Dove Street, relooking at rebuilding on the existing Police Facility site, other privately owned sites near the Civic Center, as well as a portion of Civic Center Park adjacent to the Community Room, which is located at the northeast corner of Avocado Avenue and Civic Center Drive. As the search continued, interest in finding a potential site in or around Newport Center grew due to its accessible location and the ability to centralize a number of key City services at the Civic Center complex including City Hall, the Central Library, Passport Services, Civic Green Events, and the soon to be opened Lecture Hall building.
At the City Council’s January 31 Planning Session, staff provided a high-level summary of the Ad Hoc Committee’s preliminary assessment of the 1201 Dove Street, Newport Center, and Civic Center Park options and discussed why a Civic Center-area option warrants additional study. The Ad Hoc committee further expressed a preference to looking at the Civic Center Park location as it is City-owned property adjacent to City Hall and would not require very costly land acquisition; however, environmental review and potential mitigation would be required under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The preliminary rough cost estimate for building a new police facility at the Civic Center is approximately $162 million. This estimate will be further refined as technical analysis and concept design advances.
After hearing the Ad Hoc Committee’s assessment and recommendation, the City Council provided direction to continue to explore and refine draft design concepts at the Civic Center Park location, including reviewing and selection of needed professional consultant services to develop and refine further draft site concept plan of public review and discussion, as well as undertake the CEQA review and documentation necessary for the proposed site.
Current Phase
The project is in an early study and refinement phase. A consultant team will be engaged to complete the architectural and engineering concept design and environmental studies for future Council consideration. Moving forward would include:
- Develop and refine additional draft concepts through City Council and public review sessions
- Further analysis of site conditions, project configuration, and cost refinement
- Preparation of CEQA environmental documentation
Next Steps
Upon completion of the design development and environmental review, the refined project concept, updated cost estimates, and findings from the CEQA process will be presented to the public and City Council for further discussion and ultimately direction.
Opportunities for community input will continue throughout the design development and environmental review process including further Council Study Session discussion in March 2026.
Attachments
1.31.26 City Council Planning Session