Council Approves $23.9 Million Contract for Voter-Approved Police Station
For construction projects such as the police station, the City of Longview is required to accept the lowest bid and not consider whether a company is local. The $23.9 million contract is about 14.6% or about $4 million below the allocated construction budget for the project.
The Longview City Council on Thursday, Oct. 22, voted to approve a $23.9 million contract with WRL General Contractors to construct a new three-story, 74,300-square-foot police station.
The new police station is one of a series of public safety enhancements approved by voters as part of a $52.4 million Public Safety bond election in 2018. Voters also approved Streets and Parks bond packages at that time. Other public safety enhancements in the bond include renovating and expanding Fire Station 5, constructing a new Fire Station 7, replacing and relocating Fire Station 8, moving the Fire and Police Training Center, and renovating the current police building.
Construction on the police station should begin in early 2021. The new facility will be located across South Street from City Hall and the current police department. The 2018 bond will also fund the renovation of the current facility, which will house a relocated Emergency Operations Center, expand the Municipal Court facilities, and accommodate Longview Human Resources as well as Partners in Prevention offices.
When considering the project in 2018, the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee examined the possibility of either expanding the existing police building or constructing a new facility. It was determined during that process that expansion was not a viable option as compared to constructing a new facility that would meet the current and future needs of the department.
The $23,875,100 bid from WRL General Contractors of Flint, Texas, was the lowest of eight companies bidding for the contract, including two Longview organizations. For construction projects such as the police station, the City of Longview is required to accept the lowest bid and not consider whether a company is local. The $23.9 million contract is about 14.6% or about $4 million below the allocated construction budget for the project.