Fort Myers city council to vote on $144 million police headquarters project

Fort Myers city council is set to vote Monday on a $109 million construction contract with Wharton-Smith for a new police headquarters on Fowler Street, a project now expected to cost more than $144 million.

The current police headquarters is located on Widman Way, but the department plans to relocate to a new facility designed to meet its long-term needs. The lot at Fowler and Market Street, where the new headquarters will be built, has remained empty since city council approved pre-construction services for the project a year ago.

Marvin Aviles, a Fort Myers resident, said, "I had no idea about that. I mean, I guess it wouldn't hurt, because there's always street racing on that street, and, you know, criminal activity."

Emily Hamburger, general manager of Sip and Sizzle in downtown Fort Myers, said having the police headquarters nearby would provide peace of mind.

"It's nice having them close because we do, you know, we have some issues here and there and they're very helpful. Any time I have an issue, they're here to help us, which is nice," Hamburger said.

She added, "Yeah. No, definitely. Some weeknights it gets a rowdy for sure. And it'd be nice to have them close by in case anything happens."

The city expects to borrow most of the funds for the project, with estimated debt payments of $7.65 million annually for 30 years. Council members will decide on the construction contract Monday afternoon.