During tonight’s Mayor and Board of Aldermen public meeting, the Board voted unanimously to approve a purchase contract for the Gov. William Donald Schaefer Building located at 100 E. All Saints Street for $6,000,000.00. Mayor O’Connor’s intent is to utilize the building as the future headquarters of the Frederick Police Department.
“This acquisition accomplishes two important goals. It creates the opportunity for our first-class police department to have a first-class headquarters. This will be a facility that is appropriately sized for the unique opportunities associated with our department’s community-oriented approach. Also, it re-establishes our commitment to the City’s downtown core. Throughout the process, our residents and businesses have expressed a strong desire for the Frederick Police Headquarters to be located within the downtown area. The new police headquarters will utilize a currently vacant downtown building and contribute to the City government’s ongoing re-investment into the downtown neighborhood.”
The four-story, 65,000 square foot building will be purchased through the use of previously budgeted and approved capital project funds. In addition to the building purchase, an additional investment of $50,000 will be used to undertake a feasibility review and cost estimate of the work needed to repurpose the building to serve as the headquarters.
"The new headquarters building will allow the Frederick Police Department to better serve the residents of our great city now and well into the future. New programs like our Crisis Response Team, our Traffic Safety Team, and our Multi-Cultural Liaison Unit are just a few examples of how the Frederick Police Department is always looking for new ways to protect and serve our community,” Police Chief Jason Lando. “As Frederick grows, we need to be prepared to grow with it. The location at 100 E. All Saints will allow us to remain centrally located to ensure rapid response times to all of our neighborhoods. The building will also feature a community space where our residents can hold appropriately related events. Our police team is excited about this opportunity.”
The current police department headquarters has been housed in the Frederick County Courthouse since 1982 and has expanded into other properties in recent decades as departmental needs have expanded. During the feasibility study, the City will determine if it can repurpose the building for its police headquarters within its allocated budget. If the City can accomplish the necessary modifications, the proposed settlement and transfer of ownership of the building is scheduled to take place before the end of the 2021 calendar year.