Redlands approves $4.2M in contracts to begin police station project

REDLANDS, Calif. — The Redlands City Council unanimously approved more than $4.2 million in contracts Tuesday to begin early construction work on a long-planned police station project, marking what officials described as a major milestone nearly two decades in the making.

The approvals include $3.49 million for demolition, abatement and grading work at the former Kmart site, along with a $764,000 professional services agreement for inspections and materials testing tied to the project.

Assistant City Manager Chris Boatman said the moment represents a significant step forward for a project that has been discussed for years.

“I remember when I first got here, talking about a new police station,” Boatman said. “And here we are almost 20 years later. This is the first action actually making a physical change where construction starts.”

City staff said the project will ultimately consolidate four existing police facilities into a single, approximately 60,000-square-foot “Safety Hall,” aimed at improving operations and service delivery for residents.

The initial phase approved Tuesday includes two contracts: one for demolition and hazardous materials abatement, and another for earthwork to prepare the site for construction. Officials said the city received 14 bids for demolition and 12 for grading, awarding contracts to Greenleaf Engineering and AToJA Inc., respectively.

The funding will come from the city’s General Fund reserve for future facilities, which had a balance of more than $13.5 million prior to the allocation.

Council members also approved a separate agreement with Geocon West Inc. to provide special inspections and materials testing throughout the project, from demolition through construction.

Tricia Munoz, a management analyst for the city of Redlands, presented both items to the City Council and emphasized the long-term benefits of consolidating operations into a single facility.

“This consolidates four facilities into one, 60,000 square foot,” Munoz said.

A groundbreaking ceremony is tentatively scheduled for April 21, pending final approvals.

The project was determined to be exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act. City staff said prior soil testing did not identify contamination that would require additional analysis.

The votes on both items were unanimous.

During public comment, one speaker raised concerns about prioritizing funding for police facilities while schools face budget challenges. City officials responded that school funding is governed separately by the school district and not the city.

The approved work marks the first phase of the Safety Hall project, which is expected to take several years to complete.

The city has not publicly detailed the total projected cost of the full project.