Williamsburg police unveil details on new station
Construction on $19.2M facility set to begin in March
WILLIAMSBURG — Police officers and city officials shared details Thursday about plans to replace the aging police station with a long-awaited new building.
Construction is set to begin next month on the 43,400-square-foot, stateof-the-art facility.
The city’s current police station, next to the Williams
burg Regional Library, was built in 1977 and was designed with a police force of about a dozen in mind.
Today, there are 46 officers.
Discussions for a new station began in 2016. In October 2023, the Williamsburg
City Council approved an agreement with Henderson Inc. to design and construct the new station adjacent to the Municipal Building.
At an information session at the city’s new fire station on Thursday, representatives from Henderson also shared alternative locations for the new police station. Those sites were rejected for a variety of reasons, including cost, placement of underground utilities and parking issues.
The current plan calls for construction of the new station at 715 Lafayette St. It comes with a roughly $19.2 million pricetag and is expected to open in November 2025.
“We are really looking forward to moving into the new facility,” said Maj. David Jay, an 18-year department veteran. “The current site has just outlived its usefulness.”
The new station will feature a community room with seating for 70 people; space for property and evidence; space dedicated to the wellness of officers, including a fitness facility; multiple rooms for interviewing suspects; dedicated reporting rooms for victims and their families; and a sally port for transferring suspects into the building.
Additionally, there will be a basement for storage as well as room above the station for growth if necessary. Police Chief Sean Dunn said that the new building is being constructed with the intent of the department to be there for 40 years.
“We are all super excited about this project,” said Dunn. With its technology, “the new building will allow us to provide 21st century policing to the community,” he said.
The current police station will be demolished once the new station opens.