Bee Cave officials seeking design team for proposed new police facility

Following an August presentation from Brinkley, Sargent, Wiginton Architects, a firm that conducted a needs assessment for a new Bee Cave Police Department facility, officials have signaled they are now ready for the next step.

Council approved a motion during the Jan. 14 regular meeting to request proposals for the services of a professional design team to design the new facility and site, according to city information.

Responses will be due by Feb. 27, at which point a review panel composed of city staff will review and rank the submittals. The review panel will conduct interviews, if necessary, between March 4 and March 6 and recommend a firm to council by March 10, a city document states.

Representatives from Brinkley, Sargent, Wiginton Architects presented their needs assessment to City Council on Aug. 27 and recommended a new police department and municipal court facility topping out at around 17,600 square feet and costing approximately $9 million.

After reviewing three city-owned sites, Brinkley, Sargent, Wiginton recommended the current location of the Bee Cave Police Department at 13333 W. Hwy. 71 as the preferred site.

The budget rundown for the two-story facility included the needs assessment, plus $7.55 million in construction costs, $245,000 in furniture and equipment, and almost $1 million in professional services, the bulk of which would come from design and architectural fees.

City Manager Clint Garza and council also discussed temporary relocation of the Bee Cave Police Department to a different property during construction of the new facility, but council opted to decide on a location at a later date. One of several potential options for the temporary housing of the department discussed during the Jan. 14 meeting is the Lamar Brown tract south of Hwy. 71.