Auburn Public Safety
AUBURN'S PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING PROJECT
Building on a legacy of excellence, service + safety.
On November 7, 2023, voters in Auburn voted in favor of taking the next step in building a new public safety facility in Auburn by approving bonding the construction of the facility. This vote followed years of professional facility assessments and analysis, strategic planning, public safety building committee work, site evaluations, and numerous public meetings.
The need for a new public safety building, which will be home to the Auburn Fire and Police Departments, is critical due to issues such as accessibility, accommodating a diverse workforce, lack of space and storage, and most importantly, life-health issues for first responders.
A single public safety facility, which will replace the Central Fire Station at 550 Minot Avenue, has been determined to be the best choice for both efficient delivery of services and overall costs to Auburn taxpayers. The public safety building committee did their due diligence by exploring all options, locations, and iterations of this project, and the committee felt confident that this facility makes the most sense for Auburn.
A LEGACY OF SERVICE
The Auburn Fire Department's Engine 3 Station, also known as Central Station, was built in 1972.
The station is staffed 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. And while it was cutting edge at the time of its construction, Central Fire no longer meets the needs of a contemporary and diverse fire service.
Some of the greatest challenges facing the AFD at Central Station are health risks due to lack of decontamination spaces, lack of ADA compliance, lack of training space, and inadequate storage. Safely processing contaminated gear, dispersing diesel exhaust fumes, and protecting our fire fighters from cancer-causing exposures are among our highest priorities. The facility also lacks the ability to house Auburn’s premier ladder truck which should be centrally located in the city.
EXCELLENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
In 2011, the Auburn Police Department relocated from its home at One Minot Avenue to Auburn Hall as a temporary solution for space constraints, costly needed repairs, and as a cost-saving measure for the city. Twelve years later, the agency is still working from Auburn Hall, a building that was not designed to support law enforcement functions.
A few of the challenges the APD faces at Auburn Hall include numerous safety concerns in the courtyard (prisoner interaction with the public, pedestrian safety, and access to police safety equipment), lack of adequate locker rooms, gender accommodations, lack of restrooms, training space, and insufficient storage for evidence, records, police equipment, uniforms, and supplies.
PROJECT TIMELINE
JOIN US FOR A VIDEO TOUR
Take a look inside Auburn's Central Fire Station and the Auburn Police Department
Hear from Auburn's Fire & Police Chiefs about the challenges facing their agencies
PROPOSED FLOORPLAN
Click on image to zoom
PROPERTY LAYOUT
FIRST FLOOR
SECOND FLOOR
AD-HOC PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING COMMITTEE
On September 7, 2021, the Auburn City Council voted to create the Ad-Hoc Public Safety Building Committee to work with staff and qualified consultants to advise the City Manager and City Council on the preferred site, design and probable cost estimates for a new Engine 2 Fire Station, design and probable cost estimates for a combined Police and Fire Public Safety Building, and building upgrades at Engine 5 Fire Station.
The Mayor’s Ad-hoc Public Safety Building Committee was created in 2024. This group attends meetings with the Office of Facilities and Energy as they finalize design and construction documents to bring the project to the bid-ready state.
The Committee’s purpose is to make recommendations to the Office of Facilities and Energy for the hiring of a Design Team and Construction Manager; perform community outreach activities to ensure that residents’ voices are heard and ensure they are informed of what is happening throughout this phase of the project.
Click below to view the committee page.
ESTIMATED COST OF OTHER OPTIONS
Other options were considered along the way.
View a comparison of costs for new construction vs renovation of existing public safety facilities.