$10 million public safety still awaits groundbreaking

County leaders cite funding gaps, design changes and administrative turnover as reasons for delay.

Fabrizio Gowdy Gadsden County News Service

It’s been more than two years since Gadsden County leaders announced the construction of a new public safety complex on Joe Adams Road near Pat Thomas Parkway, and the project has yet to break ground.

Funding for the complex was first announced in October 2023, with completion initially expected by late 2026, but the project remains in the design phase. County Administrator Reginald James, he now anticipates the new public safety complex will obtain a notice to proceed by May 31, and Emergency Management Director Tashonda Whaley says the county is now targeting Oct. 21, 2026 for groundbreaking and June 12, 2028 for completion.

James, who assumed his role in August, took credit for the project finally gaining momentum under his watch. He also claimed credit for his work on the Boys and Girls Club project and pointed to the Havana Public Library, Chattahoochee Public Library, and Havana Medical Center, all of which he says will receive a notice to proceed by April 30. According to Whaley, there are several reasons for the delay. She says the county knew the $10 million initially appropriated for the project was not enough, and has spent the last couple years obtaining an additional $7 million in funding from the legislature.

“This is a large pit of money and we wanted to make sure we were staying in compliance with state statutes,” explained Whaley.

Col. Bobby Collins, Law Enforcement Bureau Chief for GCSO, attributed the delay to red tape, high construction costs, and turnover at the county administrator position, with James being the third administrator since late 2024.

Director of Grants Administration Kassandra McGlonn also cited the project’s complexity as reasons why the groundbreaking has been pushed back.

“Projects of this scale require several levels of internal, external, and funder review. Various departments of the municipality must be involved,” said McGlonn, who confirmed the project is still on budget.

According to McGlonn, the county is using a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), which streamlines the process by involving the contractor in the design phase and caps the project’s cost at a guaranteed maximum price.

Features of the new facility

A former hospital, the current emergency operations center building at 339 E Jefferson Street in downtown Quincy is over 70 years old and is "dilapidated" according to Collins.

When the project was announced in 2023, Gadsden was one of eight Florida counties whose emergency operations building center did not meet state hurricane code compliance. Unlike the 70-year-old current building, the new complex will be able to withstand category 5 force winds.

Other new features include dramatically expanded square footage (5,800 square feet compared to 1,200 previously), a real-time crime center, updated technology, and additional consoles and more working areas for dispatch staff. It will house both emergency operations and GCSO.

“We’ll be able to have the infrastructure and the technology in the building so that we can continue with our 21st century policing and accommodate the different disciplines for the emergency operations center,” said Collins.

According to Whaley, the original renderings that were released are no longer accurate — the complex will be one single building rather than two separate buildings as originally planned. Tallahassee-based Clemons Rutherford & Associates Inc. is the architect for the project.

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