A new indoor gun range is in the works in Magnolia, Magnolia Police Chief Terry Enloe said during a May 14 City Council meeting. Police officers have traditionally trained at Arnold’s Range, a privately-owned range in Magnolia for law enforcement, but the facility closed earlier this year, sparking the idea to build a new range, Enloe said.

The $250,000 range will be accessible at no charge only to law enforcement—from Montgomery County and beyond—and consist of about 10 shooting lanes, a training center, and a roll-up door to allow vehicle entry and exit, Enloe said. The proposed facility may also include a substation for the Magnolia Police Department.

The range site is proposed for 5 acres of city-owned land near Industrial Boulevard and Kelly Road, but no construction timeline can be provided until funds are secured, Enloe said.

Enloe said he is in talks with U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, and Montgomery County Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley to find grant funding for the project.

"We need this. Not just for us, but for all of our law enforcement in the area," Enloe said. "If you can’t stay ahead of the growth before it arrives, you’ll never catch up once it comes."