Austin nears $107M deal to buy new public safety headquarters

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(Source: City of Austin)

AUSTIN - The City of Austin is nearing a $107 million deal to buy a new public safety building near Zilker Park in Southwest Austin.

Austin City Council's Public Safety Committee will hear a presentation about the 386,000-square-foot facility which would serve as the headquarters for Austin Police and Fire, as well as Austin-Travis County EMS.

Currently, the public safety headquarters are spread across several facilities that are more than five decades old.

"All three agencies have been housed in aging, outdated facilities with costly problems ranging from failing mechanical systems and lack of parking to crumbling foundations and inadequate restroom facilities," said Mayor Kirk Watson in a statement.

The building is expected to sell for $107.6 million and the City plans to spend about $13 million on renovations. The city says building a comparable facility would cost around $234 million.

"This opportunity also allows the City to take advantage of the current commercial real estate market to acquire a modern facility that will generate significant cost savings and increased efficiencies in the long run and improve the delivery of vital public safety services," Watson said.

Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax says plans for a combined public safety headquarters have been in the works for 20 years.