DATE: August 26, 2026
TO: Council Infrastructure & Airport Committee
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Public Safety Center – Project Update and Site Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council Infrastructure & Airport Committee (CIAC) receive an update on the Public Safety Center project, provide feedback, approve the site recommendation and next steps.
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, City 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. On February 25, 2026, staff presented to CIAC on the completed programming, conceptual design and site assessment. To keep the project momentum, there is the desire to proceed with the entitlement process. In order to start that process, the site of the new PSC needs to be decided. Staff recommend a 10-acre portion of the 16.8-acre former the California Air National Guard (CANG) site due to the availability of site area, potential for expansion, and less expensive construction costs.
After receiving feedback on the site selection from the CIAC, staff will continue moving the project forward by proceeding with entitlement work and exploring alternative delivery methods including an in-depth look into Public-Private Partnerships (P3) as a potential for this project.
FISCAL IMPACT
The PSC site assessment and conceptual design is funded by the Measure C Capital Fund 406, including $625,000 that was appropriated for the contract with LPA and for staff time associated with this level of design. Currently there is approximately $45,000 remaining in the project for staff to continue in-house entitlement work and to seek expert advice on the P3 delivery method that is being considered for this project. At the appropriate time, staff will go before City Council for appropriation of funds to continue the remainder of the entitlement work and engage consultants for support related to entitlement and further development of this project.
The fiscal impact implications for the two sites under consideration are explained below in discussion section.
BACKGROUND
Built in 1975, the existing facility at 300 West Winton Avenue has surpassed its useful life. The City’s population has grown from approximately 93,000 in 1975, to about 163,000 per 2020 census data, a growth of about 75%. The Department staffing has increased from approximately 110 in 1975 to 334 today. The building 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
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
The space needs were projected to accommodate staffing growth through the year 2050 resulting in:
91,000 gross square feet (gsf) essential services building (public space, space for admin & all HPD 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
The two locations have been identified as possible sites for the new PSC and these locations are as follows:
A 10-acre portion of the 16.8-acre former CANG site: This site is located at 1525 West Winton Avenue and Tuskegee Airmen Drive.
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 or removed and replaced for PSC parking. There is approximately a total of 5.82 acres at ground level The site selection process included an evaluation of the features and characteristics of each site.
CANG site:
Up to 10 acres, if needed
Easy access to I-880
Adjacent to Hayward Executive Airport and Fire Station 6 & Fire Training Center, allowing for occasional joint use of some areas Expansion opportunity within the maximum 10-acre portion City Center site:
5.8 acres
In Downtown and ease for community access
Close proximity to City Hall
However, adjacent to Hayward Fault
Project cost estimates were prepared for two 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
With the $200M estimated 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 Temporary Holding Facility - 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 estimated at $247M and at the City Center site is estimated at $259M.
DISCUSSION
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. Perhaps the most important factor in selecting CANG or the City Center site is that both are owned by the City.
Former Sears Parcel
During the February 25, 2026 CIAC meeting, the vacant Sears parcel at the Southland Mall was brought up as a possible site. This 29.36-acre parcel is currently marketed for lease for retail use. Additionally, the Sears parcel is integrated with the rest of Southland Mall and is governed by a Reciprocal Easement Agreement (REA). While the Sears parcel is owned separately from the main mall structure, the REA dictates crucial operational rules between the two owners. The REA controls:
Use restrictions: agreement that parcels are used primarily for the retail sale of merchandise and services.
Exterior design: the exterior design requires approval to achieve a harmonious relation between the exterior designs of the buildings on the other parcel.
Cross-Easements: Shared rights for vehicular and pedestrian traffic, ensuring mall customers and Sears site users can drive and park seamlessly across parcel boundaries.
Maintenance & Common Area Maintenance: Rules regarding who pays for and maintains the shared parking lots, lighting, roads, and landscaping.
Introducing non-retail uses like the PSC may require sign-off and a formal amendment from both the lessor and the mall owner. Additionally, a PSC does not generate retail sales tax or consumer foot traffic for the mall tenants. Also, the mall tenants and the owner may object to a large presence of emergency vehicles and the potential need for secure, restricted-access parking may conflict with mall operations. With these restrictions and limitations, staff recommend the CANG site for the new PSC. Proceeding with the CANG site will allow the next steps:
CANG parcel zoning
The former CANG site is zoned Air Terminal – Aviation Commercial (ATAC) with a Public QuasiPublic (PQP) General Plan land use designation and currently does not permit public facility use like the PSC at this site. Staff recommend a zone text amendment to update the zoning district to include public facilities such as police stations. The intention is to expand the list of permitted uses within the ATAC District, which is fully aligned with the PQP general plan designation. This approach will allow the project to proceed without requiring precise area identification or detailed site/architectural plans at this stage. Initiating a zone text amendment allows the City to proceed with coordination and review by the Airport Land Use Commission, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and eventually a public hearing with the Planning Commission and City Council.
FAA release
When the CANG site was active, it was used for airport purposes. Prior to the development of the PSC, the FAA must review and approve the leasehold for non-aeronautical use. The reclassification process requires a detailed explanation from the City to justify FAA approval. Part of the release process includes an update to the Airport Layout Plan (ALP). Both the release and ALP update require review by several levels of the FAA, including their headquarters in Washington, D.C. The process typically takes 12 to 18 months. Staff are in the process of drafting the written request.
Another advantage of using the CANG site for the new PSC is the smaller fiscal impact compared to the City Center site. Under FAA policy, any non-aeronautical use of federally obligated airport property like the CANG site must be charged rent at fair market value. This amount is small compared to the revenue the General Fund could potentially gain by surplusing and selling the land at the City Center site.
Project Delivery Method
While these entitlement works are underway, staff will continue to evaluate the construction delivery method. 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, P3 delivery method is considered the most advantageous because it combines strong cost and schedule certainty with enhanced accountability and transparency. Because the City has not done a project using P3, staff has engaged experts with expertise on P3 and intends to attend a workshop presented by the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure (AIAI) through the US Conference of Mayors to educate staff on P3 methods. If staff intends to recommend a P3 delivery method, staff will also retain the expert to hold an educational work session with the City Council at a future Council meeting to answer questions that Council may have on P3.
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-Owned Facilities and Property
Project 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 selection of the CANG site, staff will continue with the zone text amendment and work with FAA for the release of aeronautical to non-aeronautical use and an update to the ALP. Staff will issue request for proposals for support related to entitlement and further development of this project and continue exploring the P3 delivery method in preparing a recommendation for Council consideration.
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