Marble Falls police department draft plans for move to new facility

CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER

MARBLE FALLS — As a new public safety facility takes shape, Marble Falls police officials begin steps aimed at a seamless move into the new building in about six months.

“We’re actually working on some transition planning … for all the equipment and stuff that we use daily,” said Marble Falls Police Department Patrol Lt. Steve Eckstein.

The new facility is under construction in the 900 block of Avenue N adjacent to the Marble Falls Fire Rescue station.

“It’s going very well. We’ve actually had some rain days, but it didn’t slow us down much,” Eckstein said. “Inside, they’re doing plumbing, electrical, rough-in.

“The steel workers are there doing some final welding on some things, and the framer is there setting up all the walls,” he added.

MFPD has occupied its current space at Third and Main streets since 1991.

For construction funding, city officials sold approximately $3 million in bonds in 2014 as seed money for the new facility.

The city has budgeted $335,000 for the design and about $1 million for equipment, including communication system radios, a tower, a generator, and furniture.

Funding for radio system upgrades will come from a grant totaling about $170,000 from the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG).

Officials also anticipate another funding source, approximately $600,000, from the sale of the two downtown tracts where the current station is located.

Upgrades built into the new facility will enhance a number of safety and crimefighting features.

“We’re going to have a little bit more storage space, which is nice, but on top of that, we’re going to have a locker room,” he said. “Currently, we just have an area with a bench that (suspects) were locked to. The new place is going to have (two) holding rooms they can be secured in.”

Construction is expected to be complete in September.

connie@thepicayune.com