GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The City of Green Bay is in discussion of possibly building a new police headquarters.
Parts of the current police station are beginning to show their age, both inside and out.
"It's a really difficult time to be dealing with facilities issues," Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis said.
Right as you enter the station, there's dents in the lobby floor, as well as stains on the floor and ceiling.
The steps in the stairwell are uneven. Some parts of the stairs are cracked.
And the elevator shakes when going up or down.
"The roof has a bunch of leaks, and it's been patched so many times that it really needs to be replaced," Davis said.
The outside of the building is staining as well.
Davis says there's a broad agreement that police need an upgraded station.
"The problem is how we're going to pay for it," Davis said.
Davis says building brand new police facilities generally cost between $40 to $60 million.
"Obviously, a lot less if you can find an existing structure, and retrofit it to meet your needs," Davis said.
A new police headquarters would need to go through the Common Council.
Council Vice Chair Brian Johnson says the city is assessing the needs for its facilities.
The city has an Ad Hoc Facilities Committee that address facility necessities, including the police station.
"We're at this crossroads right now where we have to make decisions if we're going to invest in those assets," Johnson said.
However, Johnson says the city is in a tough spot financially to invest in a new police headquarters.
"The city has a debt load that's appropriate for a city our size," Johnson said. "But we have to be really creative with the way that we go about solving large problems like this...And right now, the only tool that we have is property tax revenue, and that's just simply not going to cut it."
But Davis says he's hopeful the police department and the city will eventually find a solution.
"At the end of the day, we'll make do with whatever we have and get the job done," Davis said. "The most important thing is that we're out in the community providing the service that we're there to provide."
Davis says the current police station also lacks windows and common areas, two amenities that a lot of modern facilities have.
