Final step on $68 million public safety center approved for El Dorado County

In the works since 2014, the last hurdle for the new El Dorado County Public Safety Project was approved on Tuesday at the Board of Supervisor's meeting when they unanimously approved a $49 million contract to design and build a new public safety facility. Clark/Sullivan Construction and Broward Builders were awarded the contract to design and build the facility.

The new public safety complex will be constructed in a campus setting on a vacant 11 acre parcel on Industrial Drive in Diamond Springs. The new facility will centralize all Sheriff's Office operations including administration and office space, a morgue, a shooting range, and storage for evidence, vehicles and special operations.

El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office operations are currently spread out across 13 different locations in the county and are far past the end of life, many having been built 50 years ago making them unable to meet the Office’s needs. The separation of service locations has resulted in increased costs and inefficiencies.

The current headquarters on Fair Lane and their Fiscal/Civil Division building on Fair Lane are both owned by the County. The Administrative unit on Broadway and three other separate operating units within the Placerville / Diamond Springs area are all in leased spaces. Once construction is completed the main headquarters will be razed as will the main headquarters at 300 Fair Lane.

“The design-build proposal we received from the Clark/Sullivan team was exceptional and, combined with the outstanding terms achieved on the $57 million loan from the USDA, we are finally able to bring our public safety facilities into the 21st century,” said Russ Fackrell, Facilities Manager.

The contract will become effective contingent upon the County’s receipt and acceptance of payment and performance bonds and the concurrence of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA’s Rural Development loan has a 40-year term with a 2.375 percent interest rate. The total project cost is estimated at $68 million with El Dorado County contributing $11 million to the total project. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2018, with substantial completion of the project estimated for the fall of 2019.