Roanoke City Council voted to approve FGM Architects to design the city’s new police and courts facility at its June 28 meeting.

The facility is being updated because the current location, at 609 Dallas Drive is too small, and the police force has outgrown it, according to City Manager Scott Campbell.

The council acquired property for the new facility across from the fire station off of Fairway Drive about three months ago, according to Campbell.

“The destination is a centrally located piece of property that we felt was ideal,” Campbell said.

Funding for the new facility will come from a half cent sales tax dedicated to the city's new Crime Control and Prevention District. The district was established after voter approval in May.


The estimated cost from the city's feasibility study was about $38 million, Campbell said.

“We estimate based on the $38 million building that the annual debt service for that cost will be roughly $2.5 million,” Campbell said.

The timing for this project is about three years–one year for the design and two years for construction, according to Campbell.