The details
The substation–located within the Magnolia Village development near FM 1488 and Spur 149– is designed to serve officers already patrolling the FM 1488 area. Having a centralized space nearby is expected to improve efficiency, especially during peak traffic hours, Police Chief Kyle Montgomery said.
The substation will not be manned 24/7, Montgomery said.
What you need to know
Originally, the development group managing the shopping center had committed $140,000 toward construction costs. However, as pieces of the shopping center were sold to various management companies, those funds were placed into an escrow account, Montgomery said.
The city will now make a single payment of $160,327 for the full build-out, with $140,000 reimbursed from the developer, Montgomery said.
"The development company really came through for us," Montgomery said. "We knew costs would be above the original $140,000 estimate, but construction inflation over the past two years made that gap wider."
Montgomery said the substation–at just 1,000 square feet—is expected to improve operations for officers in the area. Officers will now be able to write reports, meet with residents and complete other tasks in a closer area, reducing travel time and allowing for a stronger law enforcement presence in the FM 1488 corridor.
“If [police officers] have to do paperwork or meet somebody to take a report ... they don't have to come all the way, fight all the traffic and come over here to the PD [station], and fight traffic again to get back out there,” Montgomery said. “That’s some benefit to [the substation].”
There is no set completion date at this time, Montgomery said.
