EL PASO, Texas – (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Nearly seven years after El Paso voters approved a major bond package, the city is moving into the design phase for a new shared headquarters for the El Paso Police and Fire departments \u2014 a project now expected to be completed in 2029.<\/p>\n
The public safety complex is part of a 2019 voter-approved bond that allocates $413 million toward public safety.<\/p>\n
Agenda documents show the total investment for the police and fire headquarters project is expected to be about $200 million.<\/p>\n
FULL UPDATE PRESENTATION<\/p>\n
Design for the complex is set to begin in April, about a year after construction was first expected to be finished. <\/p>\n
The complex had previously been expected to be completed in 2025.<\/p>\n
RELATED: El Paso’s new police and fire training academy faces delays<\/a><\/p>\n Rep. Deanna Maldonado-Rocha, who represents East El Paso and the Lower Valley, said during city council ‘a previous meeting that the presentation on the project\u2019s funding answered key questions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe presentation was exactly when I talked to you about it. It’s exactly what we needed to see where the money’s coming from, how it’s getting funded upon approval,\u201d Maldonado-Rocha said. <\/p>\n \u201cImagine where you all are going to be with state-of-the-art facilities that you all are going to be receiving once this this project is complete. So, I hope that that everybody on council will support this.\u201d<\/p>\n The project has already undergone major changes, including its planned location.<\/p>\n It was originally set to be built on a parcel of more than 300 acres in the Northeast near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It is now planned for a 50-acre site on Global Reach Drive near the El Paso International Airport.<\/p>\n In addition to serving as the new shared headquarters, the facility is expected to include a shared training academy for both departments.<\/p>\n El Paso Fire Department Chief Jonathan Killings told City Council the new facilities would be a significant upgrade for employees.<\/p>\n \u201cThis means a great deal to this organization. You all have seen the facilities that we work out of,\u201d Killings said. \u201cLike Ms. Rocha had mentioned, our employees do a fantastic job operating out of those facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt allows us to look at that and be more efficient and also take care of our employees,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The city expects the project to be completed in 2029, barring any unforeseen events.<\/p>\n RELATED: El Paso City Council relocates public safety complex to cut costs, expand future growth<\/a><\/p>\n