Council OKs contract for center’s construction

The Planning Commission approved plans for the center in March. Officials expect construction to take a year, weather permitting.

BENTONVILLE — Dirt work on the Police Department’s emergency call center could start by the end of this month, according to Mayor Bob McCaslin.

The City Council approved 7-0 an agreement with Nabholz Construction not to exceed $8.2 million to provide construction management and general contractor services for the new facility. The total cost of the project — including design, engineering, furniture and equipment — is not to exceed $9.6 million.

“We will still value engineer down off those prices,” McCaslin said Monday.

The council also approved $30,000 for GTS Inc. to do geotechnical services and inspections for the call center. The cost is included in the $9.6 million.

The center will be paid for with $3.2 million from bonds, $3.2 million from police impact fees and $3.2 million set aside for the project in the city’s general fund, officials said.

The bond money is the last for the Police Department from the bonds issued in 2007. Impact fees are a one-time fee developers pay when building a project. They are used to help pay for capital improvement projects.

There’s a chance not all of the set-aside money will be needed, McCaslin said.

City Council member Bill Burckart asked how long it’s anticipated before the city collects the $3.2 million in impact fees.

“We estimate that by the time the project is up and going …we’ll have most, if not all the impact fees collected,” said Jake Harper, director of finance and administration.

Harper said there’s already $1 million of it collected.

The 22,137-square-foot building will be on the southeast corner of the Police Department’s lot at 908 S.E. 14th St.

It will be weather-hardened, meaning it will be resistant to any type of violent weather such as ice, tornadoes, strong wind or hail, officials have said. It would ensure the center could still operate if the city were hit by a natural disaster.

It will serve as a dispatch center and an emergency operation center, and will provide space for the Criminal Investigation Division and include a multi-use space that could be used for vehicle storage and training, according to Police Chief Jon Simpson.

The center also is the initial contact for fire and emergency medical services.

The building also will provide the police with much-needed space, officials have said. The current station opened in 1995 with 50 employees. The department now has more than 100.

Several areas within the police station will be renovated once the center is open to better accommodate the patrol and operations divisions of the Police Department, officials said.

The Planning Commission approved plans for the center in March. Officials expect construction to take a year, weather permitting.