“We need to move forward on something soon, in my opinion,” Mayor Pro Tem Peter Gordon said at the meeting.
The details
Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects worked on design and cost projections as a consultant with the city. Although the consultant team and city staff have not identified a site for the new Hutto public safety facility, the firm recommended at least 37 acres to house:
- Main police facility
- Police asset support areas
- Dispatch
- Office of Emergency Management/Emergency Operations Center
- Municipal courts
- Training center/gun range
- Exterior training structure
The team presented four options to garner council feedback before moving forward on design. The proposals include two facilities at about 53,000 square feet, which Boles called the "10-year outlook," and two larger facilities at 82,000 and 136,000 square feet.
For the two smaller facilities, the cost ranges from $56 million to $57 million based on a limited scope with less features. The training components of the facility, as well as the municipal courts, would not be included in the initial build-out.
The two larger concepts account for the "20-year outlook" and would cost $88 million and $150 million, respectively.
“Hutto’s growing like a new family, and my personal opinion is [that] we can’t afford $60 million on a public safety building," Mayor Mike Snyder said.
Digging deeper
Hutto Police Chief Jeffrey Yarbrough said that the police department has a need for additional training space, especially an Emergency Vehicle Operations Course. The police team utilizes Adam Orgain Park for training, which Yarbrough says has its limitations.
“People don’t realize there is a lot of training and a lot of decision making that goes into how you ought to to pursue, how you ought to drive to respond to calls,” he said.
According to Boles, design for the new facility will begin in March 2026, with the project going out to bid in April 2027. Substantial completion is estimated for October 2028.
Also on the agenda
At the same meeting, City Council adjourned two public hearings to annex the proposed development known as Limmer Square, and create a public improvement district. This is the second time council has postponed a vote on the items in order to give developer Limmer Holdings more time to execute the development agreement from April.
The public hearings are scheduled for the June 26 City Council meeting.
