HERMISTON, Ore.-A tour of Hermiston’s Bob Shannon Public Safety Center, currently being renovated at 330 S. First Street was held on March 23.
City Councilors, representatives of the Hermiston Police Department (HPD), and members of the public attended the tour before the regular Hermiston City Council meeting.
“It’s going to be a great new space and a better use of space that will benefit our officers and our daily operations,” said HPD Administrative Captain Robert Guerrero. “We’re catching up with the times.”
The City of Hermiston owns the Safety Center building, which dates to 1972 and houses both the HPD and Umatilla County Fire District #1 (UCFD#1).
The first step of the renovation project got underway in 2022, when Municipal Court was moved into the new Hermiston City Hall, and the former courtroom was converted into evidence storage space, featuring a new evidence storage system, thanks to a grant from the Wildhorse Foundation.
In 2023, Hermiston received a $2.5 million grant from the State of Oregon’s Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program to conduct a seismic retrofit that included installing a new roof on the building.
The rest of the project was undertaken with grants and bonds, rather than new taxes for Hermiston residents, after the City Council approved $20 million in full faith and credit bonds for seven projects in February 2024, including $11.5 million for renovations to the Safety Center.
“We’re excited that enterprise zones and Amazon investments enable us to do this without raising taxes,” said Hermiston City Manager Byron Smith. “We’re expanding services without increasing the cost for residents.”
The Safety Center construction project included, incorporating the former Municipal Court space into evidence storage, expanding space for UCFD#1, increasing functional workspaces throughout the building, adding an elevator, and constructing a sallyport and training room.
“Some of the biggest additions are the sallyport, which we never had before, and the training room where we can conduct trainings and hold our daily briefings,” said Guerrero.
During construction, which started in December 2024, Hermiston PD worked out of three different locations, with the Records Department in the former city courtroom in the Public Safety Center, the Administrative Offices in the Arc of Umatilla building, and Patrol Operations based out of the police annex building.
The modernization, safety, and functionality upgrades will allow the entire Hermiston PD and UCFD#1 to be under the same roof for the first time, fostering collaboration and allowing police and fire personnel to learn and work together, according to the City.
The target date for the Public Safety Center to be completed is mid-April.
