Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura stood in his future office, looking out the windows at cars rushing by on I-85. For Yandura, that highway will be a critical advantage to help his police officers fight crime.

In real estate, it’s all about location. And for the Brookhaven police, finding a building that fronts Buford Highway and overlooks I-85 is a bonus.

“I think it’s going to help us out tremendously.  Most of our calls for service are in the Buford Highway corridor,” Yandura said. “Unfortunately there is a lot of crime in this area.”

At the end of December, workers began renovating the new Brookhaven police station at 2665 Buford Highway.

Though the city’s 59 police officers will be headquartered at the southern end of the city, Yandura said proximity to major roads and highways will give the officers easy access to all of Brookhaven.

“The rest of the city will be well-covered,” Yandura said.

The new police headquarters will include a crime lab, evidence rooms, two holding cells, an interrogation room and a municipal court chamber. The station will also include offices, a locker room and a conference room where the city’s officers can meet.

The city has signed a five-year lease on the space. The command staff started moving into the new station Dec. 27. Renovations will continue on the approximately 16,000 square-foot space for two months. After that, the patrol division will move in.

A company owned by Brookhaven Mayor J. Max Davis’ father-in-law is renovating the police station. At the City Council’s Dec. 17 meeting, the mayor recused himself before the City Council voted on the contract.

Interim City Attorney Tom Kurrie said Asurety Construction was the low bidder for the work.  “Out of an abundance of caution and so there would be no issue,” Kurrie said he brought the contract before the council for a vote, even though it wasn’t necessary.  Contracts for less than $50,000 may be approved administratively by the city manager.

“This process was well known and an attempt to show transparency for what we’re doing up here,” Councilman Joe Gebbia said.