By HEATHER WRIGHT
Photo credit: Griffin Limerick
During their July 15 meeting, the Hyattsville City Council approved an additional $2 million for the new police and public safety headquarters being constructed at 3505 Hamilton Street, next to the Bestway grocery store.
Construction costs are now estimated at $26.2 million in total, according to a July 15 city staff presentation.
The $2 million approved on July 15 includes increases of $1.4 million for construction managers Whiting-Turner and $500,000 for Johnson, Mirmiran, & Thompson (JMT), plus an additional $200,000 for Mission Critical Partners LLC, consultants who specialize in police dispatch.
An upgraded police dispatch center will improve the department’s average emergency response times of 3 to 5 minutes, according to emails from Hyattsville Police Chief Jarod Towers. He added, “One way we hope to offset expenses is to partner with neighboring municipalities who will be responsible for sharing costs and resources.”
As previously reported by the Life & Times, the city bought the former BB&T bank building in 2010. In 2022, the city contracted with Whiting-Turner to renovate the building for a new police station. Renovations include the addition of a three-story wing; a separate one-story addition with a secured door, or sally port, for controlled transfer of individuals; and an elevator.
Whiting-Turner requested the additional $1.4 million, citing unforeseen issues and delays, including “waterproofing of the foundation, lighting protection, and other considerations for the installation of the radio communications system,” according to city documents.
JMT noted delays related to the adaptive reuse of the building in their request for an additional $500,000 of construction management. (Previously, JMT provided the original design and permitting assistance for about $1.5 million and received an additional $1.2 million for construction management and administration, according to city spokesperson Cindy Zork.)
The additional $200,000 for Mission Critical Partners concerns the new communications/dispatch center for the new Hamilton Street police building.
In January 2024, the city council voted to hire Mission Critical Partners to consult on the design and implementation of a new dispatch center for $52,800. Then, in June, the city voted to contract with Motorola Solutions for new dispatch equipment, including dispatch consoles, phone system and furniture; an uninterruptible power supply system; and microwave and antenna equipment, along with system integration and installation services. The proposed cost of the equipment and installation was approximately $2 million, with support and maintenance costs for years two through five of $560,000 — bringing the contract with Motorola to about $2.5 million.
At the July 15 meeting, the Hyattsville Police Department requested additional consultations, $200,000 worth, from Mission Critical Partners on further communication center issues like contract negotiations and requests for proposals, along with the oversight of Motorola, audio and visual systems, and electronic recording systems.
The July 15 presentation indicated that the police headquarters project was being funded by $27.8 million in bonds, $1.2 million in state and federal grants, and $650,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA).
At their Aug. 5 meeting, which occurred as this paper was going to press, the city council was to vote on a $390,000 contract with Activu for the design, purchase and installation of an Internet-based audiovisual communications system (AVoIP); a grant would cover $90,000 of the cost, according to city documents.
The city council was also to vote on a contract with Systems Applications & Technologies Inc. for $360,000 to install a private fiber-optic cable from the municipal center, on Gallatin Street, to the new police headquarters on Hamilton Street. ARPA funds will cover these costs, according to city documents. Zork noted in an email that these two contracts are for communications equipment, rather than construction, and are not part of the $26.2 million total cited at the July 15 meeting.
