Groundbreaking occurred in December for the new facility, which will include space for police and municipal court functions. The new facility will feature 46,000 square feet, which will include the police department and municipal court as well as court clerk offices, said Sandy Pettigrew, professional standards captain for the Roanoke Police Department.
The background
Pettigrew said a larger space is necessary. The existing building is at 609 Dallas Drive.
“Our existing police department facility is approximately 17,105 square feet, which includes the municipal court and clerk's offices,” she said in an email. “We have outgrown the current facility and are facing challenges and limitations due to the lack of growth potential.”
Zooming in
Roanoke City Council approved $45,755,172, in three packages, for the new police and municipal court facility, and the cost is paid through crime control and prevention district funding, provided by a half-cent sales tax, to support crime control and prevention programs, public safety operational expenses, and related capital purchases.
Completion for the new building is set for October 2025.
The details
The 5.5 acres for the new building is located at the corner of Fairway Drive and Park Drive, which is more centrally located within the city, Pettigrew said.
“This location is ideal and will have two separate and distinct public lobbies for the police department and municipal court functions, as well as a dedicated public lobby for property and detention,” she said.
The facility will add a new emergency operations center, a dispatch center with ample space and amenities close at hand for their use, Pettigrew said.
Indoor and outdoor fitness spaces are planned to encourage regular exercise, she said, and there will be additional spaces for team building and training. Adjacent to the main facility, a 17,000-square-foot building will be included for dedicated training space, which includes classrooms, offices and a shooting range, Pettigrew said.
What they're saying
Roanoke Mayor Scooter Gierisch said the existing building is "old," "outdated" and "very high maintenance" because of its age. The town also has outgrown that building, he added.
"Having our two first responders right next door to each other is also a big plus," he said, explaining the fire department will be nearby.
