Hayward Leans Toward Airport Site for New Police Headquarters and Studies a Public-Private Deal to Pay for It

Hayward is a step closer to replacing its police station. At an Oct. 6 work session, the City Council supported building a new Public Safety Center on the former California Air National Guard (CANG) property at Hayward Executive Airport, near West Winton Avenue and Tuskegee Airmen Drive, according to the city's staff report and the Hayward Herald.

The current station on Winton Avenue opened in 1973 and was designed for about 110 employees. The Herald reports it now houses roughly three times that many. Staff wrote that the building no longer meets the department's space, operational, staffing and security needs.

Two sites, one recommendation

A design study by the firm LPA looked at two locations: the CANG site and the former City Hall building at 22300 Foothill Blvd. Construction estimates ran between $337 million and $352 million depending on the site. Staff recommended CANG because it is larger, sits near a fire station and would cost less to build.

To bring costs down, staff proposed pushing animal services, a tactical training building and K-9 training space into a later phase and consolidating some functions. The Herald reports those changes cut the estimate by almost $100 million. Public Works Director Alex Ameri told the council the old station would likely be demolished so the land could be reused or sold, while Councilmember George Syrop asked staff to look at keeping some services there instead.

Paying for it

Measure K1 money was originally expected to help fund the project, but rising construction costs and the city's budget gaps have put that in doubt, the Herald reports. The council heard a presentation from the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure on a public-private partnership, in which a private team designs, builds and may maintain the building while the city pays it back over roughly 25 to 30 years. The city would keep ownership.

Asked about the yearly cost of a $250 million deal, City Manager Jennifer Ott said staff estimated $14 million to $15 million a year. Several councilmembers asked who would bear risks such as delays or a bad budget year; the consultants repeatedly said it would depend on the contract.

What's next

With a site chosen, staff plan to start zoning work, environmental studies and coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, as the budget allows, while they research whether a partnership deal makes sense for Hayward.