title
Commissioner Brown - Office of Capital Improvements - To Authorize Staff to Continue the Grant Application Process and Use the Design Funding Already Appropriated to Resume and Complete the Public Safety Campus Design
body
STAFF CONTACT
Ray Maxwell, PE - Executive Director of Capital Projects - 704-862-7551
BUDGET IMPACT
budget
No additional County funds.
body
BACKGROUND
The proposed Public Safety Campus will serve as a centralized hub for Gaston County's emergency and public safety services: Emergency Management / EOC, County Police, 911 Dispatch/Communications, Gaston Emergency Medical Services (GEMS). The new campus will allow the County to relocate public safety functions currently housed at York Chester Plaza, creating opportunities for future economic redevelopment along Gastonia's Main Ave corridor, helping to bridge downtown Gastonia with the FUSE District.
The project was approved via 2022-149 and 2023-154. The property purchases to accommodate the campus were approved via 2023-183 and 2023-214. 2024-234 authorized staff to execute a professional services contract with Macmillan Pazdan & Smith Architecture. 2026-038 authorized staff to select a professional services contract with JLL as an Owner’s Project Manager.
Programming and Schematic Design was completed, and the project was paused in March 2026. In September and October 2026, the County applied for a Model Cities Grant, NIBIN/CGIC Grant, and in 2027 will apply for NC911 Grant, to pursue supplemental funding opportunities that could offset project costs and support specific components of the proposed Public Safety Campus. These grants, if awarded, will provide a significant level of supplemental funds thereby reducing the County’s total outlay.
Approval of this Board Action authorizes staff to move forward with project design including minor amendments to professional services contracts that may be necessary within available funds. Staff would return to the Board for approval of a project delivery method, a completed design, an updated project cost estimate, the results of the grant applications, and potential funding options before requesting authorization to begin construction.
POLICY IMPACT
N/A
ATTACHMENTS
N/A