TREASURE ISLAND — After more than a decade of debate over where to build it and how to pay for it, Treasure Island is getting a new home for its police and fire departments.
The City Commission voted 4-1 Sept. 15 to approve a design-build agreement for a public safety building on 108th Avenue, on the site of the former City Hall. The contract sets a guaranteed maximum price of $10.8 million, with $4 million coming from a state appropriation.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for early October, with major construction starting in December. Construction is expected to take 14 to 16 months.
The building will replace the city’s current public safety building, which dates to 1957. Plans to replace it were already underway when hurricanes Helene and Milton struck in 2024, making a new facility urgent.
The project was originally envisioned as part of a City Hall complex on 105th Avenue, a site that would have allowed a larger building with more room for fire bays. A previous commission shelved that plan after members of resident advocacy groups packed City Hall to object to the projected cost and to borrowing money for the project when they wanted lower property taxes.
The new building will have three bays for fire trucks on the ground floor, firefighter living quarters on the second floor and a police station and other space on the floor above. It will bring all police operations under one roof, with secure offices, evidence storage and space for community engagement, along with a multipurpose training and meeting room that can serve as an emergency operations center after storms.
According to plans presented to the commission, the building will be engineered to exceed current coastal construction standards, with storm-surge protection and hurricane-resistant features throughout.
Assistant City Manager and Public Works Director Gary Volenec called the plan “a culmination of a lot of work, a lot of meetings by staff, by the contractor and by the consultant.”
“We really evaluated a functional, but yet small, floor plan,” Volenec said. “We tried to identify techniques for construction that can help save money, and also we’ve evaluated different systems throughout the building.”
Commissioners previously approved $250,000 for detailed design work. Volenec stressed that the $10.8 million figure is a not-to-exceed price, and said the team will keep looking for savings.
“Every meeting we’re going to be looking at cutting costs continuously,” he said.
Fire Chief Trip Barrs said the project is about far more than replacing a fire station.
“Hurricane Helene demonstrated just how vulnerable our critical public safety infrastructure can be,” Barrs said. “Our firefighters and first responders need a hardened, reliable facility that remains operational when our residents need us most.”
Police Chief John Barkley called the building “a symbol of Treasure Island’s resilience and an anchor for our community.”
“After all we have endured, this facility will provide our first responders with a safe, modern home from which to serve and protect our residents and visitors for generations to come,” he said.
Resident Karen Barnett told commissioners she is “definitely for the police and fire building.” She said the project was already being discussed in 2012, when she bought her house.
“So are we at all surprised in the last 14 years that the price has gone up? The price has gone up for everything,” Barnett said. “I don’t really think it’s going to be going down anytime soon — not in our lifetimes, anyway.”
She urged commissioners to “show your support for the people that we rely on on a daily basis — and pass it and let’s get it done after all these years.”
Resident Mark Howe asked how the city would pay its share of the cost, what became of earlier estimates ranging from $8 million to $12 million and why the building is larger than first planned. He said he was only raising questions and ultimately supports moving forward.
Commissioner Chris Clark credited Volenec with holding down the price.
“If Gary wouldn’t have been here, we’d be spending $14, $16 million on this thing,” Clark said.
But Clark drew a line on financing. He noted that earlier in the meeting, the commission voted to adopt the rollback tax rate, which he said would save residents $60,000, and warned that borrowing for the building would cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars more.
“I’m going to support this, but I’m not going to support taking a loan out for it,” Clark said. “We’re going to have to find the money at some point along the way.”
Commissioner Arthur Czyszczon, who cast the lone vote against the project, said the city is designing a vulnerable building and objected to the cost, which he predicted will rise.
Commissioner Arden Dickey countered that “the whole idea of the project is to have a guaranteed maximum price.” He said the building is designed to be resilient, allowing floodwaters to pass through the ground-floor bay doors during hurricanes without damaging equipment.
“I support this project 100%,” Dickey said.
Vice Mayor Tammy Vasquez said the building has been “way, way too long coming, but you know what, here we are, and I’m thrilled.”
She thanked police officers and firefighters for their patience and hard work through the long process.
“You guys are priceless, and no matter if it was $14 million, you’re worth every penny and more,” Vasquez told them.
Mayor John Doctor said the project sends a message about the city’s recovery.
“We are going to prove we are alive and well,” he said, “and that is very important.”