City to award bid on new police training center

Sep. 27—Owensboro city officials expect work to begin on a new police training center within the next few weeks, with the goal of having the facility completed before the end of the year.

City officials opened bids on the planned 5,000-square-foot police training center earlier this month, said Lelan Hancock, assistant city manager.

The city will replace the existing modular training center that has been at the OPD firing range for at least 18 years.

The new wood-frame building will contain classroom space and space for virtual firearms and driver training.

"The building there (currently) has served its purpose, but it's long past its useful life," Hancock said. "It was probably not the best building when it was put in."

The city had estimated the cost of the training center at around $900,000. Bids came in under budget at around $750,000, Hancock said.

The selected bidder has not been announced publicly, but will be made public after the contract is signed, Hancock said.

"We were pleased the contract was within the budget," Hancock said.

The work is expected to take just a few months, weather permitting.

"That building should start within the next few weeks," Hancock said. "The work will be finished sometime around Christmas."

Bid opening on the training center and on a renovation for Fire Station 2 were pushed back a few weeks due to contractors being unable to nail down start times due to shortages of construction materials. City officials had planned to open bids on the planned renovation of Fire Station 2 last week, but the bid opening was delayed again so the city could address questions from potential bidders, Hancock said.

The city plans to open bids on the fire station project Wednesday, Hancock said.

James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse