Tulsa is officially getting a new public safety center.
The city has agreed to purchase the old State Farm headquarters near 51st and 129th in east Tulsa for $25.5 million. The building will hold Tulsa police and fire headquarters, area emergency management, city medical and the police department’s Mingo Valley division.
“Having all of those public safety functions in that site, we think, will create great efficiencies and collaboration rather than having these functions spread out all over town,” said Mayor G.T. Bynum.
City leaders expect the new facility to be operating by the end of 2024, according to a news release.
The building will be purchased with money from the third Improve Our Tulsa package that voters passed in August. The package extended preexisting sales taxes to pay for multiple capital improvement and maintenance projects in the city, including setting aside $47.5 million for a public safety center. The cost to renovate the building is $22 million below the budgeted cost.
City council president Crista Patrick said the city is "eager" to use the money to make sure public servants have better facilities.
Bynum said the city “kept coming back” to the State Farm building even after touring several other facilities.
The city is also purchasing the land around the building, which is where they’ll locate a new fleet maintenance facility for police cruisers and fire trucks.
The current police headquarters and emergency management center operate out of the city’s municipal courts building in downtown. Bynum said the conditions in the building — which TPD first used in 1969 — leave much to be desired.
“When Chief Franklin turns on the faucet in his office, brown water comes out. The elevators in that building routinely break down,” he said.
The municipal courts building will eventually be demolished. Bynum said the court’s operations will stay in downtown for proximity to the federal and district courthouses.
Bynum couldn’t give an exact date for when the court’s operations will move to another location, but said he has spoken to county commissioners about the matter. The county is currently looking at building a new courthouse.
