Brookhaven’s new public safety headquarters overlooking the Peachtree Creek Greenway is slated to begin construction this year and be completed by 2021, according to city officials. The facility will house the police department and municipal court, which are currently crowded into a leased space on Buford Highway.
The 3-story public safety headquarters is being built on 19 acres on Briarwood Road, behind Northeast Plaza, that overlook the Peachtree Creek Greenway. The building will include balconies and outdoor seating for viewing the Greenway. Large windows are included in the design. Granite features are also included as part of the city’s branding effort with granite incorporated into park amenities and as a way to honor Oglethorpe University’s distinctive granite architecture. Total square footage is 36,000 square feet.
The new headquarters is being built using $15 million in special local option sales tax dollars approved by voters in 2017.
The city issued $12 million in general obligation bonds last year to front the costs to build the facility. The city awarded an $800,000 contract to Rosser International, Inc., for architecture and engineering.
Rosser International presented final design plans to the mayor and City Council during their March 12 work session. The facility will include power from geothermal energy – energy tapped from under the Earth’s surface – as part of the city’s focus on sustainable energy.
There will also be four electric car chargers on site for public use and another four in a secure area where police officers will park. The city is looking at adding electric cars to its police fleet and more chargers at the site are likely to be installed in the future.
The courtroom will have a 150-seat capacity and can be used as a backup City Hall and City Council chamber space if necessary, according to city officials. Other city boards, such as the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Commission could also meet there.
Corrections: This story has been updated to state total cost of the new facility is $15 million. Also, request for qualifications/pre-qualification document were due March 28, not the actual construction bids.