AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin City Council members voted Thursday night to approve the purchase of a southwest side office complex that will serve as a new combined headquarters campus for the city's three public safety agencies.
Council members voted to approve the purchase as a part of Thursday's consent agenda. It was the second key vote related to the city's public safety agencies Thursday night, coming minutes after council members voted to approve a new five-year contract with the Austin Police Association.
The new headquarters will combine resources for Austin Police, Austin Fire, and Austin-Travis County EMS.
The 386,000 square foot campus off of MoPac Expressway and Barton Skyway in southwest Austin carries a purchase price of $107.6 million. According to the city, building a comparable facility could cost at least $234 million; the city expects to invest about $13 million in design and renovation costs.
The city's current public safety headquarters facilities, which are spread across the city, are between 54 and 64 years old, and are said to be in need of extensive and costly improvements.
