City Council approves $120 million to create new public safety headquarters in Austin

The city of Austin will create a new combined public safety headquarters in a historic move that would put all of its first responders under one roof.

On Thursday, the city council approved spending $120 million to purchase and renovate a building that will house Austin Fire, Austin Police and Austin-Travis County EMS.

The nearly 400,000-square-foot building is located at the corner of Barton Skyway and South Mopac Expressway, just south of Zilker Park.

The purchase price of the building is $107.6 million, with another $13 million for design and renovations. The city will use certificates of obligation, which is a long-term loan that does not need voter approval, to purchase the building.

Mayor Kirk Watson said the opportunity allows the city to improve working conditions for public safety personnel and increases collaboration and efficiency.

Currently, the city’s three public safety agencies are spread across several facilities that city officials say are between 54 and 64 years old. Most of those buildings need extensive and expensive repairs, including cracked walls and ceilings, breaks and sewage leaks, and faulty foundations.

Watson said this is a valuable, long-term investment for the city.

“This is a cost-effective, efficient and more sustainable solution compared to renting or constructing new buildings or trying to remodel and fix up the current headquarters,” Watson said at a news conference earlier this month.

Public safety leaders said this is a big step forward and cited opportunities to improve communication and coordination during emergencies.

“The facility will also serve as a physical representation of the city’s leadership’s continued commitment to public safety to ensure it meets the needs of everyone who lives, works and plays here,” said Austin Fire Department Deputy Chief Rob Vires. .

City officials said these joint efforts will also create a shared space that supports training, streamlines information sharing and promotes a coherent operational strategy, leading to better service and stronger public safety outcomes.

Some community members, however, oppose the purchase, citing poor location, high costs and lack of transparency. Several people signed up to speak against the purchase on Thursday, but by the time council called the issue around 8 p.m., most people had left.

Bobby Leviski of the environmental organization Save Our Springs Alliance spoke Thursday night.

“Where does the money come from?” said. “There is no transparency with this issue or fiscal analysis… And this site does not have access.”

Now that the plan has council approval, it will take some time to design and renovate the building to meet the city’s needs.

That includes a push for energy efficiency additions, including the installation of solar panels, which Councilwoman Alison Alter spearheaded Thursday.

During a public safety committee meeting earlier this month, Kimberly Olivares, the city’s deputy chief financial officer, said the design phase alone takes about six months.

“I don’t want to speculate on the timeline for completion until we’ve been able to go through that process,” he said. “We want to move as quickly as possible and there are certain floors that are already completely empty, so it’s not like we can’t start work on various areas.”

There are tenants working in the building. City officials said the city is working with tenants to get them out of the space.