Akron officials have narrowed down the search for a new police station to three locations, according to a Monday news release.
The three options include renovating the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center, the police department's current headquarters; building on green space located at 178 S. Forge Street, which used to house a Wonder Bread bakery or using a building located at 80 West Bowery St. currently owned by Akron Children’s Hospital.
The Stubbs building is in dire need of repairs, Mayor Shammas Malik has said.
“It is critical that we ensure a long-term, safe, effective work environment for the Akron Police Department and today’s announcement brings us closer to that goal,” Malik said in the release. “I believe we have identified potential options for the future of our police station, and I look forward to engaging with our community and stakeholders over the next several months as we make a final decision and determine the necessary financing.”
Earlier this year, the city opened a request for proposals to identify sites that could be used for the police station. Officials narrowed it down to 10 options in April.
Now that officials have picked the three finalist locations, they will do additional research to determine the costs of the project and how it will be paid for, according to the release.
“This step in determining the future of our police station is a critical one in helping us achieve our goals,” Police Chief Brian Harding said in the release. “We look forward to a station that our team is proud of as well as a space that is welcoming for our community. I’m excited for the future of our department and our station.”
All three locations are in Downtown Akron, which Malik previously told Ideastream Public Media was a priority in the search process.
He’s also hoping to have enough space for community organizations to use the building in addition to the police department, he added.
“Our nonprofits and particularly organizations that are working with young people are always looking for meeting space and different event space, so if there is community space that could kind of be colocated with this, I think it would further our goals for community policing,” Malik said.
The building located at 80 West Bowery St. was originally constructed in 1950 for retail use and is owned by Akron Children’s Hospital, officials said in the release. The 117,000-square-foot building has been recently prepared for development.
Officials at the University of Akron submitted the space at 178 South Forge St., which previously contained a Wonder Bread bakery and offices, officials said in the release. That building has been demolished, which means the city would construct a new station if chosen.
The current police station was constructed in 1966, according to the release. It previously housed the Akron Municipal Court, prosecutor’s office and other offices until they relocated to the Oliver Ocasek Building on Broadway Street in 2023.
“Significant renovation would be required to accommodate the current needs of the Akron Police Department,” officials said in the release.
