DATE: February 25, 2026
TO: Council Infrastructure & Airport Committee
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Public Safety Center Project Update
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council Infrastructure & Airport Committee (CIAC) receive an update on the Public Safety Center project and provide feedback.
SUMMARY
The existing Hayward Police Station no longer meets the space, operational, staffing, and security requirements for the Hayward Police Department (HPD). A new Public Safety Center (PSC) is needed to fulfill the requirements.
On April 15, 2025, Council authorized the City Manager to execute a professional services agreement with LPA, Inc., for site assessment and conceptual design services. Their services concluded with a final study report. This item summarizes the study.
FISCAL IMPACT
The current total cost of the site assessment and conceptual design for new PSC is $625,000 and is funded by the Measure C Capital – Fund 406. On June 25, 2024, City Council adopted a resolution authorizing the City Manager to appropriate $500,000 from the Measure C Capital for the project. Subsequently, additional effort was needed and on April 15, 20252, City Council approved an appropriation of additional funds in the amount of $125,000 for the contract with LPA and staff support.
BACKGROUND
Built in 1975, the existing facility at 300 West Winton Avenue has surpassed its useful life. It is undersized, poorly configured, and lacks the essential security separations required for modern police stations. Operational and space-related deficiencies include:
Insufficient operational spaces for staff and no public meeting spaces Inadequate separation of public, secure, and restricted circulation zones Limited public waiting, queuing, and interview areas
Insufficient juvenile interview and detention facilities Inadequate file storage
Inefficient departmental layouts, with key functions located at inefficient distances from each other Outdated holding and booking facilities for detainees
Building system deficiencies include:
Need for more energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems Required ADA upgrades
Building issues, including leaks into sensitive technology rooms Antiquated sewer and plumbing systems that fail regularly Multiple temporary, portable structures used for police functions Lack of exterior standoff distances for security and blast threats Inadequate site parking for departmental and staff vehicles Inadequate square footage for today’s needs
The building has been modified over the years, including an addition for office space and a Communications Center, and further remodeling is now impractical. Small or incremental expansions would exacerbate inefficiencies and compromise security. Given these challenges, constructing a new facility is the best solution to meet the HPD’s evolving needs. The new PSC should include the following features:
Police Headquarter
Temporary holding facilities
Indoor shooting range
Increased services for the Youth and Family Services Bureau Animal services relocated to new PSC
Crime Scene Technician Lab integrated to new PSC
Some satellite campuses tasks relocated to new PSC
Two locations have been identified as possible sites for the new PSC and in 2020 were preliminarily analyzed for potential project sites. These locations are as follows:
An 8-acre portion of the former California Air National Guard (CANG) site: This site is located at 1525 West Winton Avenue and Tuskegee Airmen Drive. Eight acres have been designated at the eastern half of the 16.8-acre CANG site for the possible future location of the PSC The former City Hall Building Site: This site is located at 22300 Foothill Blvd between Foothill Blvd and City Center Drive. The site is approximately 3.5 open acres. The former City Hall building was demolished in 2020. The parking structure on the south side of the property which is another 2.3 acres remains and can potentially be refurbished and reused for PSC parking. There is approximately a total of 5.82 acres at ground level
DISCUSSION
LPA’s scope of work provided a conceptual design detailing the programming and space needs, site analysis, cost estimate and the possible construction delivery methods.
Programming & Space Needs
LPA reviewed existing documents and conducted interviews with HPD staff to assess user and space needs. This process included distributing questionnaires to all HPD divisions to identify current requirements as well as anticipated future needs. Follow-up interviews were conducted to discuss questionnaire responses and gain a comprehensive understanding of departmental operations, space requirements, specialized needs, and emerging trends. Finally, space needs were projected to accommodate staffing growth through the year 2050 This resulted in:
91,000 gross square feet (gsf) essential services building (Public space, Space for Admin & all PD divisions, crime lab, dispatch, jail and shared staff areas) 30,000 gsf non-essential services building (K9, Special Response Unit, Property & Evidence, Indoor Range) 29,000 gsf animal services building
100-yard outdoor range
Tactical Simulation Building
Parking
Essential services building houses functions that are critical to public safety, health, or continuity of services and must remain operational during emergencies or disasters. While non-essential services building supports functions that are still important but not mission-critical during emergencies and can tolerate temporary shutdowns. Classifying a building as essential vs non-essential affects structural design criteria, need for backup power and system redundancy and construction cost.
Site Analysis
The two sites were evaluated for their suitability to support the PSC. The site selection process included a comprehensive evaluation of the features and characteristics of each site.
CANG site:
8.1 acres or possibly more, if needed
Easy access to I-880
Adjacent to Hayward Executive Airport and Fire Station 6 & Fire Training Center Expansion opportunity
City Center site:
5.8 acres
In Downtown and ease for community access
Close proximity to City Hall
However, adjacent to Hayward Fault
The CANG site is determined to be better suited for the development of the new PSC. One of the major considerations is the availability of site area and the potential for expansion will permit flexibility to meet the needs. Construction cost is another factor that makes the CANG site more attractive. Due to the smaller site footprint at the City Center site, construction costs increase because the required building area would necessitate a five-story building, versus a three-story building at the larger CANG site.
The selection of either site will not affect HPD operations during construction. Following relocation to the new facility, the City may elect to refurbish and repurpose the existing building, or deconstruct it and retain the property for future use or surplus.
Cost estimate
Project cost estimates were prepared for both sites consistent with the programming and space needs outlined above.
CANG site:
Buildings & Parking Structure $212 million
Site Work, including outdoor range and tactical simulation building $53 million Soft Cost $72 million
Project Total $337 million
City Center site:
Buildings & Parking Structure $242 million
Site Work, without outdoor range and tactical simulation building* $30 million Soft Cost $80 million
Project Total $352 million
*Since the City Center site is adjacent to residential housing, the outdoor range and tactical simulation building cannot be included.
With the $200M identified for this project as identified but unfunded capital needs, the original programming and space needs were re-evaluated. This included prioritizing programming to reduce programming scope to be done in a future phase. They include:
Animal Services- removed from PSC with the option to be included in a later phase or located in an alternative site Public Spaces - reduction of the public lobby space and removal of one of the community meeting rooms Workstations- spaces reduced where functionality would not be compromised Firearms Training - indoor firearms range, originally planned to be 50 yards, was reduced to a 25-yard range. The 100yd outdoor range is included in the PSC at the CANG site with a four lane 50yd outdoor range planned for a future phase. The tactical simulation building is removed to a future phase Property & Evidence- a reduction in the number of workstations, drying cabinets, and evidence lockers K-9 - this program is removed to a future phase
Special Response Unit - The unit’s dedicated briefing room was removed from the scope with the assumption the unit could use the patrol briefing room when needed Jail - a reduction in storage space, kitchen size, and number of cells. This reduced the maximum capacity of the jail from 49 people to 35 people Communications Center - a reduction in the size of the break room, and the number of dispatch consoles was reduced from 16 to 14 Vehicle Exam – reduction of the exam bay from 2 to 1
Youth & Family Services Bureau - Reductions include the removal of the overflow counseling rooms, the waiting room, and the dedicated breakroom With the above reduction or prioritized programming, the project cost at the CANG site is $247M and at the City Center site is $259M.
Delivery methods
The construction delivery method is the approach used to design and construct a project. It defines how the project team is structured, how contracts are established, and how responsibilities, risks, costs, and schedules are managed among the owner, designer, and contractor. The traditional delivery method and common to CIP projects in the City is Design-Bid-Build. Other alternative delivery methods include Design–Build, Progressive Design-Build, Construction Manager at Risk, and Public Private Partnership (P3). Each delivery method offers different advantages related to cost control, schedule certainty, and collaboration.
Design–Bid–Build (DBB): the traditional project delivery method in which the owner contracts separately with a designer and a construction contractor. The designer completes the full design and prepares construction documents, after which the project is competitively bid and awarded to a contractor. Construction begins only after design is complete. This approach provides clear roles, strong pricing competition, and a well-defined scope, but it can result in longer schedules and limited collaboration between design and construction teams.
Design–Build (DB): DB is a delivery method in which the owner contracts with a single entity that is responsible for both design and construction. The design-builder integrates design and construction services under one contract, allowing for overlapping phases, earlier cost certainty, and faster project delivery. This method reduces owner coordination responsibilities and can minimize disputes, though it requires the owner to clearly define performance requirements at the outset.
Progressive Design–Build (PDB): PDB is a form of design–build in which the owner selects a design-builder primarily based on qualifications rather than a fixed price. The design-builder works collaboratively with the owner during early design to develop scope, schedule, and cost, with pricing established later as the design advances. This approach emphasizes transparency, shared risk management, and flexibility to refine project goals while maintaining the benefits of integrated delivery.
Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR): CMAR is a delivery method in which the owner contracts with a construction manager during the design phase to provide constructability input, cost estimating, and scheduling services. The construction manager later assumes the role of general contractor and provides a guaranteed maximum price, taking responsibility for delivering the project within that price. CMAR promotes early collaboration and cost control while preserving a separate designer–owner relationship.
Public–Private Partnership (P3): P3 is a customized contractual arrangement in which a public agency partners with a private entity to deliver a public facility. The private partner may be responsible for design, construction, and financing, as well as flexibly structuring operation, and/or maintenance responsibilities over short-, medium-, and long-term periods. P3s leverage private-sector developer expertise and financing to deliver complex projects more efficiently, with risks allocated to the party best able to manage them and performance guarantees provided by the development partner.
Selecting an appropriate construction delivery method ensures that the project is delivered efficiently, transparently, and in alignment with the goal for accountability, budget control, and timely completion. For this project, the P3 delivery method is considered the most advantageous because it combines strong cost and schedule certainty with enhanced accountability and transparency. Under a P3 structure, the project can be delivered with a guaranteed maximum price, contractual schedule commitments, and liquidated damages for late delivery, providing the City with meaningful protection against cost overruns and delays. The P3 approach supports an open-book delivery process, with full cost transparency and audit rights retained by the City, while maintaining public-sector safeguards such as competitively bid trade packages. This structure also enables efficient risk allocation to the parties best able to manage those risks and allows any cost savings achieved during delivery to revert to the City. Collectively, these features provide a high level of fiscal control, performance accountability, and delivery certainty, making the P3 delivery method the most appropriate choice for this project, although no definitive decision has been made. City staff are actively exploring potential developer interest and next steps for pursuing and implementing the P3 method in order for staff to finalize a delivery method recommendation for Council.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
There will be many trade jobs involved in the eventual construction of the facility, which will be subject to the City’s Community Workforce Agreement. Upon completion of the facility, this project will improve staff retention and support recruitment efforts.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item directly supports the Strategic Priority of Invest in Infrastructure. Specifically, this item relates to the implementation of the following project:
Invest in City Facilities and Property:
N17 Provide CIC a needs assessment/preliminary feasibility report on a new Police Building, including a funding mechanism.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
This new facility will be reviewed by the Building Division for conformance with State and local requirements related to sustainability (i.e., California Building Code, California Energy Code, etc.) which require a certain level of energy efficiency, resource conservation, material recycling, etc. In alignment with City policies, the facility will be all electric (no natural gas infrastructure) and will include sufficient solar to be a zero net energy facility. The facility will also have electric vehicle (EV) charging with at least 20% of the parking spaces with either chargers installed or being EV capable. In addition, the building will be designed and constructed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for a Silver Certification, or better.
PUBLIC CONTACT
There is no public contact proposed for this item at this time. Input from interested community groups and residents will continue to be solicited during each phase.
NEXT STEPS
With the completion of conceptual design, specifically, programming, space needs, and site assessment, the next step is to further explore and confirm the delivery method, evaluate the City’s timing for financially supporting the project given the current financial situation faced by the City, and select the project team.
Prepared by: Dave Hung, Acting Deputy Director of Public Works Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
______________________________
Jennifer Ott, City Manager
https://hayward.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7299982&GUID=DF8B1F9A-341E-4100-90C3-DA2FA465512E&Options=&Search= HaywardPublicSafetyCenter_FINAL.pdf
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