Brockton could have a combined public safety facility by 2023. Here's what it will cost.

Cody Shepard @The Enterprise News

December 22, 2020

BROCKTON — The city has long desired for a combined public safety facility to replace a dilapidated police station and the aging historic Central Fire Station.

That dream now appears to be closer to becoming a reality, with hopes of having it up and running in mid-to-late 2023 — and city officials say they won't have to raise taxes to make it happen.

Mayor Robert Sullivan called it "a really historic night for the city of Brockton" to present the plans to the Brockton City Council Finance Committee on Monday evening.

"This really is something that I think is going to be a game-changer for decades," Sullivan said.

The proposal is to build a "new, sleek, technology-driven public safety building" that would house the operations of the Brockton Police Department, Brockton Fire Department, Brockton Emergency Management Agency and the Brockton Information Technology Center.

The cost? A hefty price tag of up to $98 million.

"The $98 million is the maximum amount. So, if we get this approved, we cannot exceed that. The goal is to go under that," Sullivan said. "The biggest thing is, if you approve this, we're going to go on the record tonight that this will not increase taxes whatsoever."

Chief Financial Officer Troy Clarkson said the city has a significant amount of debt coming off the books in 2028.

"The payments for this project will be within the operating budget and we will not seek a debt exclusion," Clarkson said, adding that it's a "historic" and "remarkable" feat to be able to pay for the complex out of the city's annually budgeted funds.

Clarkson said the expensive project will not handcuff the city from completing other projects in the future, including a major renovation of Brockton High School that's in the very early stages.

"I think there's ample flexibility to fund this and other smaller projects," he said.

The public safety complex's location has not been finalized, but Sullivan said he strongly supports the former Brockton High School site, now the Champion High School at the Keith Center on Warren Avenue, at the top of Legion Parkway.

"There are some variables there, legally, that we would need to consider before we actually say 1,000 percent that's the location," the mayor said. "But, in my humble opinion, I think that that is the right location for this project."

The complex being located there would require that the city change Warren Avenue to a two-way traffic pattern so that fire department vehicles, especially, can exit left to head toward Pleasant Street. It is something the city has discussed for many years and a goal to restore two-way traffic throughout the downtown.

The four-story public safety building would be about 149,275 square feet, with 72,786 for the police department and 61,117 for fire. The IT department would get about 10,556 square feet and Brockton Emergency Management Agency would have 4,816.

The facility would house the full operations of each department except for the fire department, which would maintain all of its fire stations throughout the city aside from the Central Fire Station on Pleasant Street, according to Fire Chief Michael Williams.

The complex would include a parking garage to hold about 300 vehicles, largely because of the police department's needs, and public lobby space on each floor.

Construction could begin as early as January 2022.

About $72,280,000 of the total $98 million maximum will go toward construction, with the next most expensive aspects being $8,005,000 for furniture fixtures, equipment and technology and $7,283,000 for architecture and design.

The project is being developed by Kaestle Boos Associates Inc. and CHA Consulting. Architects shared preliminary renderings of the building at Monday night's meeting, but said it is still a work in progress, with public input to be one of the next main phases of the project.

Councilor-at-large Moises Rodrigues said he wanted to make sure residents, particularly in the ethnic community in Brockton, can have a say regarding a building that will also be used by the public.

"If we're up to the design stage, I think the building has to be an appealing building for people that are going to be asked to go into this building to acquire services," Rodrigues said.

Sullivan said the city hasn't shut anyone out of the process and the public will get a chance to weigh in, but was first prioritizing the needs of the departments that will be in the facility.

"We only get one shot at this and it's a hell of a lot of money," the mayor said.

Councilor-at-large Winthrop Farwell and city council President Shirley Asack have been meeting weekly with the mayor, public safety representatives and the architects as part of the process.

"I couldn't begin to tell you how much thought and analysis has gone into this," Farwell said. "I have nothing but praise for our professional people that have joined us on this project."

"I know everything moves slowly, but hopefully we'll get there at some point," Asack said. "It's just an exciting time for Brockton. I think Brockton deserves to have a beautiful public safety facility. We're a big city and this is well-needed. It's long overdue."

Richard Marks, the owner's project manager, said the best case scenario is that the project will take 2 1/2 to 3 years.

"It will take us about 18 months to build, so we'd have occupancy by the late summer of 2023," he said. "That's, again, the most aggressive schedule. If we slip due to any particular reasons — and we certainly hope we don't — that could slide into maybe the end of 2023. So, it's a long process."

The city council's finance committee unanimously sent a favorable recommendation to authorize the up to $98 million spending back to the full council for a vote at a future meeting. Councilor-at-large Tina Cardoso was the only councilor not present for the vote.

"There's a lot of opportunities for everyone to provide input," Marks said. "Likewise, we need to all be committed to moving this forward as quickly as possible."

Senior reporter Cody Shepard can be reached by email at cshepard@enterprisenews.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @cshepard_ENT. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.