AUSTIN, Texas — Crummy. Pathetic. "Dirt Sorry."
That's how Austin Mayor Kirk Watson described the current buildings that house Austin police, fire and EMS. It's also why the city is preparing to create a public safety headquarters.
City leaders announced Friday they're about to close on a new facility in South Austin near Zilker Park that would consolidate headquarters for all three agencies.
"All three agencies have been housed in aging, outdated facilities with costly problems ranging from failing mechanical systems and lack of parking to crumbling foundations and inadequate restroom facilities," Watson said.
Austin will purchase the building for $107.6 million and spend $13 million to renovate it. City Manager T.C. Broadnax said the cost is less than half the price of building something new.
Austin City Council will vote Oct. 24 to approve acquiring and renovating the property on Barton Skyway. Watson said the decision is cheaper, more efficient and more sustainable than leasing or constructing new buildings, or remodeling the current headquarters.
What will happen to APD's current headquarters downtown?
New Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the department's current downtown headquarters on Eighth Street is a challenge.
"There's no hot water. No facilities for new mothers to breastfeed. There's no space for the community to gather," Davis said.
APD confirmed it will continue to operate a downtown precinct and presence, but what's next for its current headquarters remains to be seen.
"It's a property owned by the city in a pretty good location," Watson said about APD's current headquarters. "We'll have a new headquarters, but we'll also have this property... that can generate revenue for us."
Where is Austin Fire's headquarters?
The department's current headquarters on Ed Bluestein Boulevard in East Austin has been called "woefully insufficient" by city leaders.
The building currently has a faulty foundation, cracked walls and ceilings, and "significant" accessibility challenges for those with disabilities. It also houses some operations for Austin-Travis County.
Where is ATCEMS headquarters?
EMS has the rest of its operations at the RBJ Public Health Center on Waller Street near Lady Bird Lake.
The building was once a nursing home and needs new fire protection and sanitary systems. It's also experiencing mechanical system failures.
Broadnax said efforts to have all of the city's public safety efforts under one roof have been in the works for more than 20 years.