Dreams do come true.

After decades of disappointment, the City of Santa Barbara is finally building a new police headquarters.

“I am just really excited to be able to lead the city at this time,” City Administrator Kelly McAdoo said. “What an amazing project. This building is really going to take our Police Department into the 21st century and beyond.”

More than 150 people attended an extravagant groundbreaking ceremony Monday afternoon to celebrate the 2025 construction of the new $96 million police station at 610 Santa Barbara St.

Mayor Randy Rowse, Police Chief Kelly Gordon, McAdoo and City Council members Eric Friedman, Oscar Gutierrez and Meagan Harmon attended the event, as did dozens of other law enforcement, government and political luminaries.

In the crowd were Marjie Kirn, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, Hilda Maldonado, superintendent of the Santa Barbara Unified School District, former City Administrators Paul Casey and Jim Armstrong, former Police Chief Cam Sanchez and retired Sgt. David Gonzalez, among many others.

The building was designed by local architect Brian Cearnal. The $96 million construction contract, which was awarded to ProWest Constructors, is set to begin in 2025 and last two years.

The city has been trying to build a new police station for more than two decades. The current building at 215 E. Figueroa St. was built in 1959 and needs a seismic upgrade and updates to meet accessibility standards. It has soil contamination in the parking lot as well as multiple plumbing and electrical infrastructure deficiencies.

The new building will bring police dispatch services under one roof and feature a community room, a forensics laboratory, a property evidence room, an indoor shooting range and a fitness center, among other improvements.

The city attempted a decade ago to build a new police station through a ballot measure, but the effort was rejected by voters. This time, the city plans to borrow up to $135 million from US Bank to pay for the new 65,000-square-foot headquarters.

The debt also will cover a renovation of Dwight Murphy Field, including new soccer fields and the inclusive Gwendolyn’s Playground.

The city will use Measure C sales tax money to pay back the loan.

Counting all costs, including items such as construction management and insurance, the total cost of the project through construction is expected to reach about $121 million.

“Certainly, the work started long before I came here,” Chief Gordon said. “I will say it is my priority to get this new police station built, over the finish line, and actually sit in the new offices and get our team into the new station.”

Gordon said it was “an absolute honor” to lead the department at this time.

Monday’s event featured officials symbolically shoveling dirt to kick off the project. The city catered cupcakes, doughnuts and coffee to welcome attendees. The formal ceremony began with a Color Guard presentation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and speeches.

“It’s about time we gave our people the right kind of station, a new station where they can serve the people better,” Mayor Rowse said.

He said he was on the downtown parking committee 30 years ago when the city first looked at sites.

“We like to take our time in Santa Barbara to make sure it’s right,” Rowse said.

Councilman Friedman said the community deserves the new building.

“This is a momentous day in our community for our Police Department, all of our officers and the staff,” Friedman said. “They need a place where they can really serve the community. Right now, it’s really fragmented. They don’t have proper conditions. This is going to allow them to really thrive and better serve our community.”

Friedman noted that the community room will allow everyone to enjoy the building, adding that the new headquarters also will help with recruitment and retention.

Former Police Chief Cam Sanchez attended the event.

“I am so honored to be here,” Sanchez said. “I knew it would come some day.”

Sanchez recalled the disappointment from when the bond measure failed, and then how the state legislature killed redevelopment agencies, which took another source of funding for the Police Department.

“The community really deserves this,” Sanchez said. “I am glad they are doing a community center as part of it. It’s a beautiful city, and it deserves a beautiful Police Department.”

Councilman Gutierrez said the new station will uplift the entire community.

“It’s not just going to be a police station,” Gutierrez said. “It’s going to be a community space. We need more and more of those, especially in this part of town. It is going to be vital.”

The site had long been the home of the Santa Barbara Farmers Market. It moved to State and Carrillo streets so that the city could build the new police station.

The Farmers Market has found a new home downtown, “which I think has worked out very well,” Casey said.

He said the police station is an example of the community coming together.

“I feel excited and gratified,” Casey said. “The community stepped up and funded Measure C. Without that, this never would have been possible.”

Councilwoman Harmon said Monday was a victory for hard work and perseverance.

“Celebrating this milestone today was a proud moment,” Harmon said. “We ask a lot of the dedicated members of the Santa Barbara Police Department, and it’s no secret that the last few years we’ve engaged in difficult conversations around law enforcement policies and practices in our community.”

She said that led by Chief Gordon, officers have shown us “time and again what transparent, community-focused, 21st-century policing can look like. With this new building, they will finally be getting the 21st-century police station they so deserve.”