The Clarence E. Lightner Public Safety Center will combine the City Police and Fire Departments, Emergency Communications and Operations, Traffic Control, Information Technology and Data, Sheriff Dispatch, Building Maintenance and Credit Union Offices all into one building. Kling Stubbins presented conceptual designs for the building before the City Council last week; they put forth their design concept that local government should not be expressed as a monolith, but that the programmatic elements gathered by this project should be reflected through the form of the building, specifically, as “parts and pieces.”
Efforts thus far give strong attention towards Nash Square and the site as a pedestrian corridor. The transparent lobby of the building acts as a “front porch,” and a buffer from the street. In addition to consolidating many city offices, the building will contain an auditorium and cafe. The 300,000 square foot facility will attempt a LEED Gold rating. Cherry Huffman will serve as the architect of record.
Last year’s RFQ listed the bill at $100 Million. The projected cost today is $184 million. Add a $40+ million contingency for inflation and the final cost is estimated to round off near $225 million at completion. This project is in the infantile stages of design, and this affords the opportunity for the public to give input on the design, and perhaps influence the outcome.
Ultimately, this is the public’s building. And we are paying for it.
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