It will be a “pretty tall order” to find a project site with all the things Santa Barbara wants for a new police station, principle planner Brad Hess said, but that’s the next phase for the project.
The Santa Barbara Police Department station at 215 E. Figueroa St. was built in 1959 and is not seismically safe, according the city.
The 9-1-1 communications center was moved out of the basement to the Granada Garage in 2014.
A new police headquarters is expected to cost $80 million, plus $50 million in interest.
Ideally, the new site would have 70,850 square feet, 252 secured parking spaces and 80 public spaces, Hess said. Some facilities could be off-site, like the shooting range, storage and dispatch center, he told the City Council.
The consultants are considering city-owned properties and private property for a possible site, according to the city.
“Properties should be in the downtown area of Santa Barbara, not in the flood zone, and at least half a city block,” Hess said.
The City Council approved contracts for site selection, $177,000 to Cearnal Collective, and preliminary environmental review, with Dudek for $39,038.
City staff working on the project expect to bring the council a site selection recommendation in early 2019, Hess said.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.