On Thursday, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, City Commissioners and Police Chief John Mina broke ground for the construction of a new Orlando Police Department Headquarters.
The new 96,000-square-foot, state-of-art facility is estimated to cost $41.5 million and will be located at the corner of South Street and Orange Blossom Trail.
“Over the last 10 years, we’ve made a significant investment in public safety which has led to a City-wide crime reduction of 20 percent since 2007,” said Dyer. “This new headquarters will not only help further our crime prevention and reduction, but will also enhance our community policing efforts and partnerships with our residents.”
Orlando Police Chief John Mina, who is facing increasing scrutiny owing to recent incidents of police brutality, said, the proposed station is centrally located and will be more accessible to the community.
“The new station will be centrally located and more accessible for members of the community,” he said. “The openness of the new building will help strengthen police ties with our residents and enhance the spirit of our community. I look forward to be able to walk right out the back door of the new headquarters and being able to visit with our neighbors and they can do the same.”
District 5 Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill claimed, the new police headquarters will help to revitalize the Parramore area.
The Headquarters building is expected to be completed by the fall of 2016.
