Updated: June 6, 2023, 6:17 AM ET
Columbus City Council approved plans to give the police department a new precinct in the Hilltop neighborhood, costing nearly $13 million over the next few years.
The city council voted Monday to fund the design for the building by BBCO Design LLC with $1.5 million. The new precinct will be just five blocks to the east of the current precinct, which is located at 2070 Sullivant Avenue between Columbian and Larcomb avenues.
The current precinct, a 2,200-square-foot brick building, was built in 1965 and is surrounded by a chain-link fence.
Columbus Department of Public Safety Assistant Director Glenn McEntyre said the current precinct is outdated, inadequate for police staff and is not inviting for the community. McEntyre said the office and parking space is also insufficient.
"The new facility will include public amenities where the community can meet with the officers who patrol their streets and block watch groups can meet," McEntyre said.
Columbus operates a total of 20 substations in the city.
McEntyre said future plans for the current site have not yet been determined. The city already owns the land for the new site after purchasing it in 2022.
