OVIEDO, Fla. – The city of Oviedo may soon move forward on a plan to expand its police department headquarters.
At a work session on Wednesday, the city council will get an update on the progress of the police department annex and renovation project.
Recommended Videos
The proposed two-story annex building would add more than 15,000 square feet to the current police headquarters, and a preliminary estimate of the project cost is $18.2 million.
“We have a floor plan, we’ve got some very specific documents, but now it really is time to get into the nitty gritty and permitting,” Mayor Megan Sladek said.
In 2016, Oviedo residents voted to allow the city to borrow $11.4 million to build a new public safety building, but the project never moved forward.
In 2023, more than two-thirds of voters rejected a plan to build a $49 million police headquarters.
For the annex and renovation project, the city has nearly $17 million in available potential funding, with a $1.2 million shortfall.
“I think it’s a discussion the council needs to have, whether this reflects the will of the residents or if maybe we are getting a little bit bigger than we meant to,” Sladek said.
The potential for statewide property tax reform could also have an effect on how Oviedo moves forward with a potential expansion to police headquarters.
“If the tax situation should change from Tallahassee, how are we going to pay for police? I don’t know. I truly don’t know,” Sladek said.
City leaders will get an update on the annex and renovation project during a work session on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.