Redlands approves $49.7 million for new Police Safety Hall
Redlands City Council unanimously approved nearly $50 million in construction contracts July 7, 2026, for a new Police Department Safety Hall, advancing the project into construction as demolition began at the former Kmart property.
The project is planned for 1625 W. Redlands Boulevard. It is intended to consolidate Redlands Police Department operations in a new headquarters, replacing the department’s current arrangement with a purpose-built facility for police operations.
The approval commits the city to one of its largest recent public-safety construction projects. It also moves the Safety Hall from long-term planning into visible work at a site that formerly housed a Kmart.
What the council approved
The construction contracts were reported at $49.7 million. The council approved them unanimously on July 7, allowing the project to proceed as demolition began at the West Redlands Boulevard property.
The approval is a construction decision, not an announcement that the facility is finished or operating. Demolition marks the beginning of physical work, while the Police Department Safety Hall remains a project under construction.
The public announcement identifies the project as the long-planned Redlands Police Department Safety Hall. Its central purpose is to bring police operations together in a consolidated headquarters rather than continue relying on the department’s existing facilities.
A major capital project for Redlands
The city’s proposed FY 2027-2028 biennial budget lists continued development of a consolidated Police Department headquarters as an active capital project. That budget treatment places the Safety Hall within Redlands’ continuing capital-planning work for the 2027 and 2028 fiscal years.
The project therefore has significance beyond the demolition occurring at the former Kmart site. Nearly $50 million in construction contracts represents a substantial public-safety investment and will keep the Safety Hall among the city’s major capital projects during the current budget cycle.
For residents, the most direct change is at the project site: a former retail property is being cleared for a municipal police headquarters. The longer-term service change is the planned consolidation of Police Department operations in one new facility.
Completion expected in summer 2028
Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2028. Until then, the site will remain an active construction project, and the new headquarters will not yet be available for police operations.
The $49.7 million figure describes the approved construction contracts. The final project cost, including all contingencies and financing, has not been stated in the public documents identified for the project, so the contract amount should not be treated as a guaranteed all-in total.
The next known phase is continued demolition and construction at 1625 W. Redlands Boulevard, followed by the expected summer 2028 completion. The city’s budget identifies the work as ongoing capital development, while the council’s July approval authorizes the project’s move into its construction phase.
When completed, the Safety Hall is intended to give the Redlands Police Department a consolidated headquarters. For now, the key milestone is that work has begun on the former Kmart property after the City Council approved the construction contracts.
Sources
- Redlands approves $49.7 million in construction contracts for new police station, Community Forward Redlands News
- FY 2027 and 2028 Proposed Biennial Budget, City of Redlands
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