Fort Worth city officials and representatives of the police department broke ground Tuesday (Oct. 11) on the department’s new South Patrol Division headquarters at 3501 W. Risinger Road.
Construction of the 31,000-plus-square-foot facility begins this month and is expected to completed by December 2023. The $20 million project was approved for funding as part of the city’s 2018 bond program with additional funds provided by the Crime Control & Prevention District.
City Councilman Jared Williams (District 6) said the new headquarters will replace an existing city-owned building on West Bolt Street and a leased facility on McCart Avenue. The facility will house more than 200 law enforcement personnel, Williams said, including South Division patrol officers, neighborhood police officers, detectives, Code Blue community volunteers, the bike unit, and division administration.
The building’s design includes an entry plaza and lobby, community room, roll call room and office space.
“This facility will be a modern building not just for officers but for the whole community,” Williams said.
The facility is a response to significant growth in the area served by the South Division as development surges along Chisolm Trail Parkway, according to Mayor Mattie Parker.
“This is the right thing to do for residents,” Parker said. “Once this facility is built, everyone around this area will recognize the City of Fort Worth was ahead of growth in this situation.”
Police Chief Neil Noakes said the location was chosen to help boost response times in the area and to help prevent crime before it happens.
“Part of being able to respond quickly and prevent crime is being in our neighborhoods,” he said.
Architect/engineer for the project is Callahan & Freeman Architects. The construction manager at risk is CORE Construction.