BECKLEY, W.Va. — A highly-anticipated plan to construct a new headquarters for the Beckley Police Department received full approval on Tuesday.
The Council approved the ordinance on its second reading just hours after its approval from the Building Commission. The current police headquarters, located along Prince Street, has housed the department for around 40 years. The building has several maintenance issues including roof leakage and structural problems. It has also become too small for the department’s needs.
Plans call for the acquisition and construction of a building not to exceed $8 million dollars next to the Beckley Intermodal Gateway along Neville Street and Leslie C. Gates Place. The funding will come from the Beckley Building Commission’s Lease Revenue Bonds.
While exact specifications of the new building have yet to be released, Beckley Mayor Rob Rappold says he is excited for the larger, state-of-the-art facility.
‘It’s tremendous. I mean our police station that our police officers have suffered through for 40 years was never designed to be a police station. We are absolutely elated with the pricing on the bids that came in today. It’s going to be a tremendous facility and a great addition to the city.”
At the Building Commission’s meeting, Persinger & Associates General Contractors was selected from a list of bids for the job. According to their website, the Charleston-based company has completed other emergency facilities such as South Charleston’s Firestation #1.
“We did some research, they were very well recommended,” said Mayor Rappold. “They’ve completed some really nice projects and we’re really excited about it.”
The first reading of an ordinance waving the City of Beckley from construction fees, building permits and business taxes on contractors was also read. It will receive a second reading at the Council’s November 7 meeting.
The Beckley Fire Department will also receive a new home. Land was approved for acquisition off of Ragland Road for a larger, state-of-the art facility to serve the north end of Beckley. It will replace the current outdated facility in the 1100 block of Eisenhower Drive.
A timeline for construction of the new firehouse is not available at this time.
The City hopes to break ground on the new police headquarters within the next month. They anticipate it could be ready for operation by late 2018.