Merced’s already spent $2M on new police HQ. Here’s why the city is about to study it — again
More than two years after spending about $2 million to purchase a site for a new police headquarters, city leaders in Merced say they remain uncertain where — and when — they may start construction.
The city bought a 4.54-acre parcel at Yosemite Avenue and Mansionette Drive for $1.1 million in 2010 to be the site of a new headquarters before leaders changed their minds and bought the former home of the Merced Sun-Star for $1.62 million on G Street in 2016.
The city appeared to be on the way to paying for the G Street site demolition to make room for a new headquarters and inked a $2.1 million deal to sell the Mansionette site to Valley Children’s Hospital. That deal could be final later this year.
Former Police Chief Norm Andrade, who retired in 2018, said the main station on 22nd Street is inadequate and was even too small in 1980 when the second story was finished. The G Street site had been the top finisher among about 10 buildings surveyed because of its central location, 5-acre lot and other perceived benefits.
But the plan showed signs of weakness this week when the City Council voted to hire Irvine-based engineering firm LPA Inc. to again assess the site on G Street at a cost of $165,850, according to the agreement. The city did a similar assessment of several sites before leaders started leaning towards the G Street location in 2015.
Settling on a location and moving forward with the project matters because construction costs go up over time.
A new building designed to match all of the department’s needs with room to grow was estimated at some $32 million in bond funding, and each year of delay adds about $1.28 million, according to former Councilman Michael Belluomini. The cost of building a new station has risen by about 4 percent per year since 2013, he said last year, from $500 per square foot to $600.
The city was on its way to place a bond for voter approval on last November’s ballot, but balked when a community survey didn’t show enough support.
The city has added some new employees recently to its highest ranks who decided to make another assessment of the building, according to City Manager Steve Carrigan. He said further looks at the building shouldn’t delay the project further, and leaders don’t want to rush into trying to build such a high-priced development.
Carrigan pointed to potential access problems to the G Street site — problems that existed when the council decided to buy the building, recommended by city staff. For example, the city would have to clear at least some of the median in the center of G Street to allow patrol cars to turn left from the driveway.
A new concern with the location is the security of the area behind a potential new station, Carrigan confirmed. The western edge backs up to a two-story apartment building and could present potential issues for an area used by officers.
“I don’t want to make it sound like we don’t plan to be there,” Carrigan said. “(The assessment) is really just to make sure we have the right site.”
Mayor Mike Murphy wasn’t immediately available for comment.
To pay for the new station, leaders have considered asking voters to approve a tax to parcels based on their property value. A survey last year asked voters if they would vote for a $45 million bond and for a parcel tax of $68 per $100,000 of assessed value for 30 years to upgrade police, fire and emergency operations.
Merced City Council unanimously approved the purchase of the Merced Sun-Star building in 2017, and leased it back to the news company for a year at $2,500 a month, according to city staffers. The Sun-Star has since found a new home.
This story was originally published January 25, 2019 at 1:25 PM.