The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is working on your behalf to be an indispensable resource for information about the communities we cover. In Atlanta, the city’s plan to build a new training center for police and firefighters on land the city owns in DeKalb County has both supporters and critics and frequent new developments. We are committed to keeping you up to date on details that are important to know.
As of Jan. 24, 2024, here are the latest cost and funding details:
The up-front cost to build the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center was originally estimated at about $90 million with roughly a third from the city and the remainder from the Atlanta Police Foundation and non-public philanthropic sources.
The city in June of 2023 allocated $31 million for its share of construction costs. Officials recently announced the cost of the center had increased by an additional $19 million, driven largely by added security to prevent destruction from protesters, litigation, additional insurance and construction expenses. The city said the police foundation and its donors will pick up that cost.
Once the center is built, the city said, it will pay the foundation $1.2 million per year for 30 years to lease back the facility and cover some operating costs, and at the end of that period the city will own the center.
When the center was first announced in 2021, the city and foundation said the city’s $30 million contribution to the project would come in the form of either an up-front payment or a long-term lease payment. When it became clear in advance of a June 2023 city council vote that both were included in the funding plan for the project, some council members said the process had not been transparent and that they felt misled about costs.
The city responded that the incremental cost to taxpayers has not increased and remains at roughly $30 million. That’s because the long-term lease-back costs will be more than offset by eliminating $1.4 million currently paid each year for temporary training locations, which will be decommissioned.
The James M. Cox Foundation, affiliated with Cox Enterprises, the owner of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has contributed to the project, as have other local foundations and corporations.
Atlanta Public Safety Training Center: Complete coverage (ajc.com)
