The City Council adopted the Public Safety Center Plans and Specifications developed by KMA Architecture and Engineering on October 21, 2008.  The bidding process was open to ten pre-qualified contractors and eight bids were received ranging from $40 - $42.9 million.  On March 10, 2009, the City Council awarded the project to Ledcor Construction, Inc. for $40 million.  The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 23, 2009 and th project was completed in August 2011.

The new El Cajon Police Station is now done! After two years, the new home of the El Cajon Police Department is a beautiful five story, state-of-art facility that will accommodate “all” police functions under one roof. Visitors walking into the new structure will be greeted with a beautiful new lobby to conduct their business with the department. This structure was also built “green!”

It was designed to achieve Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification and utilizes energy-efficient mechanical systems, day lighting, a white roof system, high-performance glass, and recycled and renewable building materials, and drought-tolerant landscaping. Their new state-of-the-art 9-1-1 communications system, along with the new and improved technology infrastructure, will streamline public/police communication and reporting. A new, larger crime laboratory and evidence/property rooms will enhance crime scene investigation and crime solving responsibility. A new Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be essential when dealing with major incidents such as wildfires and earthquakes. The Data Center will support the needs of the Department and City for the next 30 years. The new system will have many times the capability of our current network and has been designed to allow critical systems to fail-over to backup servers and drives. Our Data Center, and the Data Center at City Hall, will host each other’s backup systems to prevent the potential of loss of data with the loss of either building.

The building is 119,400 square feet with 212,750 square feet of parking garage, and is located on 5.7 acres adjacent to City Hall. KMA Architecture & Engineering partnered with McClaren, Wilson, & Lawrie to design the El Cajon Police Station. Gafcon, Inc. oversaw the two-year construction contract awarded to Ledcor Construction, Inc. in the amount of $40-million. Financing for the construction came from Proposition O, the ½ cent sales tax measure approved by the voters in November 2004, which could only be used for public safety facilities. The ½-cent sales tax increased from 7.75% to 8.25% on April 1st 2005, for a ten-year period only. A Citizens’ Oversight Committee was established to ensure timely and effective review and oversight of the public entrusted funds.

06/30/2011: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park	06/02/2011: Rotunda plaza planter and deck layout
06/16/2011: P2 Level Parking underground	06/16/2011: Watch commanders station
06/22/2011: Interior Stair 3	06/24/2011: Police Officers Gym Equipment
05/31/2011: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park	05/19/2011: Lobby epoxy coating on floor with terrazzo metal strps
05/19/2011: Lunch room L3 ceiling soffit	05/19/2011: L2 interior office space before partitions
05/13/2011: Forming the raised planter south of the rotunda	05/05/2011: View of the south plaza deck from inside lobby at rotuda
04/30/2011: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park	04/28/2011: Holding cell entrance at booking area
04/28/2011: Forming the site work, planters and stairs	04/22/2011: Ceiling system for L2 conference room
04/13/2011: South west side solar panels installed on shade trellis	04/13/2011: Stamping and finishing the pavement on Park Ave
03/31/2011: Fixed vantage point. V iew facing North towards Park	03/31/2011: K type fixtures at rotunda ceiling
03/31/2011: Cabinet installation at level 2	03/23/2011: Rotunda K type light fixtures and interior stone installed
03/23/2011: Tactical Operations Dispatch Room at the Communications Center	03/23/2011: South West entrance to P2
02/28/2011: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park	02/04/2011: View from under stair 1 to lobby ceiling
02/04/2011: Interior lobby stair 1 installation starts	02/04/2011: Rotunda citadel panels being installed
02/04/2011: Sun shade installed over windows	02/01/2011: Rotunda scaffolding coming down
01/31/2011: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park	01/27/2011: Building sign on the North West side of the building
01/27/2010: South P2 garage ramp trellis	01/27/2010: Lunch room ceiling 01/27/2010: Pumps for the boilers
01/27/2010: Planters for the Green spaces on L1	01/27/2010: Locker installation
12/30/2010: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park	12/30/2010: Level 3 Metal panels outside the laboratory space
12/30/2010: Driveway A and the south western corner of the building	12/15/2010: South side of the building showing the Citadel Panel
12/09/2010: View of the L1 north entrance from the L1 parking deck	11/27/2010: North West Aerial View of the building taken by helicopter
11/30/2010: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park Avenue	11/30/2010: South east of rotunda, deck retaining wall and footing
11/24/2010: Restroom wall tile	11/24/2010: North entrance to the IT room from the L1 deck
11/10/2010: Fine grading/base for the south parking lot	11/02/2010: Trellis with yellow primer and finish champagne color
10/31/2010: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park	10/28/2010: Overview. View facing North towards Park
10/18/2010: Trellis at South side over P2 exterior ramp	10/04/2010: Metal panel at the level 3 North East corner at exterior of building
10/04/2010: Metal panel at the level 3 North East corner at exterior of building	10/12/2010: Plaster at South side exterior of building
09/30/2010: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park Ave	09/30/2010: Blue metal panels installed on the South West corner
09/28/2010: Exterior rough grading	09/24/2010: Pumps on the low roof next to the boilers
09/21/2010: Air Handling Units on the low roof	09/07/2010: Rotunda Parapet wall framing
08/31/2010: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park Ave	08/26/2010: Interior of rotunda lobby showing metal stud wall
08/26/2010: Fan P2	08/20/2010: Pumping concrete for mechanical curbs
08/10/2010: HVAC and piping at control room	08/10/2010: Backfilling the water pipe trench on Driveway A
07/30/2010: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park Avenue	07/29/2010: Level 2 metal stud and drywall
07/23/2010: Scaffolding at Rotunda, view from inside the lobby	07/23/2010: Photo Votaic Trellis on Level 1
07/23/2010: Metal Stud framing Level 1b	07/01/2010: Delivery of the 1000 KVA emergency generator
06/21/2010: Interior Stair #3	6/30/2010: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park
06/16/2010 Trellis for the photovoltaic panels L1	06/16/2010: Interior drywall and ducting L1
06/02/2010: Underside of the entry rotunda	06/11/2010 Entry ramp down to the P2 level parking space
05/13/2010 Permanent interior stairs	5/28/2010: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park Avenue
05/13/2010 Permanent interior stairs	05/18/2010 Fireproofing the structural steel Level 1
05/10/2010: View of rotunda underside of decking	05/07/2010: Level 2 deck pour view from the East side
04/30/2010: Start install of rebar on L2 Deck	4/30/2010: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park A
04/21/2010: Ceremonial beam installed on west side of building `	04/21/2010: Topping off ceremonial beam being hoisted into place
04/06/2010: Loading Metal Decking for L2, L3 and Roof	04/06/2010: Structural Steel going up West side of building
03/31/2010: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park Ave	03/23/2010: Metal Decking between the walls of the firing range roof
03/18/2010: Placing the second precast beam into place at the North East side of the building	03/11/2010: Firing Range Roof Rebar installs
03/10/2010: Concrete pumping L1C Cast in place slab	03/09/2010: Waterproofing west side of building
02/26/2010: L1B Concrete Pour. The firing range roof was poured with L1A concrete pour	02/26/2010: Backfill and Compaction on the East side of the building
02/23/2010: Rebar, conduit and sleeves for the electrical switchgear room floor	02/16/2010: Scaffolding and Forming the CIP deck on L1C Area
02/16/2010: Close up of the concrete, crew, controller, nspector & supervisor. Quality control is critical in forming the concrete slope to drain	02/01/2010: View of the clear blue sky from the underground firing range mechanical room
01/27/2010: Scaffolding deck for L1 Cast in place slab	01/25/2010: Forming the exterior wall P1
01/19/2010: East P1 Exterior Wall	01/11/2010: P1 TS-B topping slab pour
01/07/2010: P1 TS-A topping slab pour	01/13/2010: Backfilling around the P2 south west exterior wall
12/09/2009: Beam and Column Rebar	12/08/2009: Pour P1A for the P1 cast in place deck
12/09/2009: Forming the walls of the firing range	12/09/2009: Rebar and Decking for the P1B part of the CIP deck
12/09/2009: Beam and Column Rebar	12/08/2009: Pour P1A for the P1 cast in place deck
11/30/2009: Fixed vantage point. View facing North towards Park Ave.	11/30/2009: Install of the scaffolding for the P1 CIP Deck
11/30/2009: South P2 wall at the entrance to parking level 2	11/30/2009: Rebar installation in the P1A portion of the cast in place deck
11/30/2009: Forming & pouring internal shear walls	11/30/2009: Waterproofing on P2 level Exterior East Wall
10/28/2009: Level P2-Finishing Concrete Pour	10/24/2009: Level P2-Second Saturday Concrete Pour
10/17/2009: Level P2- First Saturday Concrete Pour	10/17/2009: Level P2- First Saturday Concrete Pour (Lt. to Rt.) Doug Zieman, Chief Pat Sprecco, Bill Cooley, Joe DeMello, Lt. Ron Smithson
10/14/2009: Level P2-Laying steel rebar from East to West	10/01/2009: Level P2-Waterproofing and rebar at Tower Crane Base, Sump Pumps and Elevator Pits No. 1 & 3
09/25/2009: Tower Crane Base Near Elevator No. 3	09/29/2009: Under Slab Waterproofing Sheets .
09/24/2009: Brick Veneer Mock-Ups	09/24/2009: Drilling Elevator Bores (No. 1 & 3)
09/09/2009: SDNHM – Historic Artifact Recovery during Well Excavation	09/18/2009: Mat Slab Edge Forms
08/25/2009: Excavation of the site	08/21/2009: Hauling of the Dirt
08/25/2009: Workers at the site	08/21/2009: Digging the Hole
08/13/2009: Major earthwork starts on site “Big Dig”	8/07/2009: Dewatering well drilling
07/15/2009 City striping Rea Temporary Parking Lot	07/28/2009: Temp Lot & ADA Ramp Site walk
07/09/2009: NW - Magnolia Ave. Temp Lot laying asphalt	07/09/2009: NE - Rea Temp Lot laying asphalt