Hutto advances plans for new justice center, selects construction manager

What happened

The proposed $42 million facility includes a primary police headquarters at 45,360 square feet, a secondary support building and space for future expansion to accommodate the city's growth. Council members reviewed the architectural layout, which features specialized areas for forensics, evidence storage and a 911 dispatch center.

The proposed facility will be located at Limmer Loop and County Road 132.

Discussion focused heavily on the $750 per-square-foot cost, with officials emphasizing the need for high-security materials and robust infrastructure compared to standard commercial buildings.

Council also approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a professional services agreement between CORE Construction Services of Texas Inc. and the city of Hutto for preconstruction services for the project in the amount of $35,000.

Next steps

“We still have a lot on our plate before this begins construction,” said Jessica Molter, a senior principal architect at PBK Architects. “We know we're trying to get a lot of the decisions made and the design done in a very timely manner because we're coming up on Aug. 15 as your deadline to potentially call a bond for this fall.”

If approved, the bond would result in an estimated tax increase of about $45 per year for a home with an appraised value of $100,000, according to the city.

Construction would tentatively begin April 1, 2027, with substantial completion Aug. 31, 2028.