City Council approves more expensive $200M design for Mountain View’s new public safety building

Not willing to delay any longer, the Mountain View City Council pushed forward with plans to build a new public safety building that aims to serve the community for the next 50 years.

Council members unanimously approved the $200 million design for the police and fire building, while also questioning how the city will finance the cost of the project, which has increased by about $40 million since June.

“I’m a little taken aback by the escalating cost,” said Mayor Alison Hicks, a sentiment that was shared by many at the council meeting Tuesday evening.

For more than two decades, the council has discussed what to do with the aging facility that houses the police station and fire department’s administrative services, as well as the city’s emergency dispatch and operations center. While the city’s public service operations have grown, the 43-year-old building has not kept up and has faced numerous challenges over the years with limited space, leaks and heating problems. It also is not up to code with seismic safety standards.

In June, the council approved an early design plan for a three-story building to replace the existing, outdated structure. But it also called for substantial modifications to the project – additional square footage, a shooting range and a $1 million public art budget that, along with a time delay, bumped up the cost by about 25%.

Council member Pat Showalter addressed the escalating price directly by asking how much tax money the city would need annually to bond the project.

It would take $9 million annually in debt service payments, according to Assistant City Manager Arn Andrews, who based this figure on the $160 million estimate that staff presented to the council in June. The city already has set aside $20 million for the early stages of the project, he added.

The city is contemplating a revenue measure in November that would help finance the project. But Hicks expressed concerns about how this might poll with the public, and whether the city had back-up plans if a new public safety building did not rank as a high community priority.

City staff did not offer any clear alternative ways to pay for the project outside of a ballot measure, although Public Works Director Dawn Cameron said other options could be explored with the city manager’s office.

Ultimately, council members largely accepted the added costs of the project, as part of a necessary expansion to accommodate the growing operations of the city’s public services. The revised design plan now features a 75,000 square foot facility with a multipurpose 2,500 square-foot auditorium. The plan also includes an enlarged outdoor public event space and more parking spaces.

Once complete, the building will be able to accommodate 243 police and fire department personnel, a substantial increase from the current 165 person staffing level, according to the council report.

But while these additions did not raise eyebrows, council members did question the feasibility of the shooting range. Located on top of the parking garage, the fully enclosed 15-lane range is expected to cost $16 million.

Council members asked about the possibility of renting out the range to offset some of its expenses, while also expressing concerns about bringing in outside firearms to the facility.

Police Chief Mike Canfield said he was not aware of these kinds of ranges being available for civilian uses, while adding that it would not change protocol for outside law enforcement agencies that already carry firearms when coming to the Mountain View Police Department for shared investigations.

Public commentators also expressed concerns about the cost and practicality of the shooting range, questioning its location on top of the garage, which would require additional expenditure for temperature control and sound proofing.

The one area where council members split was the architectural style for the proposed building. In a straw vote of 4-3, Council members Emily Ann Ramos, Lucas Ramirez, Margaret Abe-Koga and Hicks favored the Civic Americana style, largely citing its design continuity with other civic buildings, like the Mountain View Train Station and Castro Station on Evelyn Avenue.

Council members Lisa Matichak, Ellen Kamei and Showalter favored the Civic Traditional style, which the council report described as “the quintessential architectural style in California – the Mission style.” Strongly in support of the traditional style, Matichak asked her colleagues why they chose the Civic Americana style instead.

“One of the things that steered me away from it (the traditional style) was a concern of the Mission style and the history behind some of our missions in relation to the indigenous people of this land,” Ramos said, noting that it was a concern she heard from one of her constituents. “And I did want to respect that.”

On the whole, though, the council members sought a building design that was attractive and something that the community could be proud of for the next 50 years. There was also an incentive to get moving soon, as any more delays to the schedule would add $5 to $10 million a year in escalation costs, according to the council report.

“We’ve been talking about this, at least before my time, but during my time, it’s been about 12 years now,” Abe-Koga said. “And that cost increased. It was $60 million back then. And now we’re at $200 million. So, my priority is to just get this moving as quickly as we can so that we can just keep it going … the sooner we can get it done, the better.”

Construction for the public safety building is expected to begin in the fall of 2025 and will be completed by mid-2028, according to the council report.