Fayetteville to break ground on new police headquarters

Future home of a new Fayetteville police headquarters at Deane Street and Porter Road / Photo: City of Fayetteville

Fayetteville officials will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the public safety campus project this week.

The event is set for 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 11 at the site of the new facility, located at the northeast corner of Deane Street and Porter Road. Limited parking is available to the north and east of the University of Arkansas Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, along North Dvorachek Avenue and West Heck Street. Construction personnel will be present to help attendees with parking.

Face coverings and social distancing will be required at the event, and masks will be available free of charge. A limited number of speakers and officiants will participate in the ceremony, which is anticipated to last no more than 30 minutes, according to a news release. The event will take place outdoors on uneven ground, so attendees are advised to dress accordingly and wear sturdy shoes.

The project includes a new police headquarters and a new fire station, which were both part of a voter-approved bond package passed in 2019.

Preliminary design concept / Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects

The city last year finalized the purchase of the 11.6-acre property for the facility for $2.59 million from the University of Arkansas’ Division of Agriculture. The City Council in October approved a rezoning required to construct the project, and the Planning Commission this year approved the development plan.

The project includes an 82,630-square foot police station with an indoor firing range and support buildings, plus a 7,322-square-foot fire station. Infrastructure changes include a roundabout at the intersection of Dean and Porter and on-street parking on both roads.

“These projects are possible because the people of Fayetteville recognize the critical role public safety has on preserving and improving quality of life in our community,” said Mayor Lioneld Jordan in a news release. “I want to thank them for showing their support by passing these bond projects, and I want to thank the many, many other people who have worked tirelessly to move these projects forward.”