The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $29.45 million plan to replace the Los Angeles Police Department's Northeast Division station on 3353 San Fernando Road.
The project will be paid for through the use of $28.45 million in Proposition Q General Obligation Bond funds, which were approved by city voters in 2002, and $500,000 in 2011-12 Police Forfeited Assets monies.
According to the proposal, the remaining funds for the project would need to be identified by LAPD "over the next two years through the budget process."
“Funding for the new station supported by the City Council today will allow our Northeast Division LAPD officers to continue to make great inroads fighting crime in a modern state-of-the art facility,” said Councilmember José Huizar in an official statement.
Crime Is Down
According to Capt. William Murphy, the Northeast Division--which includes Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Mount Washington and parts of Echo Park--leads the city with a 31-percent reduction in violent crime over the first six month of the year.
The department will also need to locate funds to build a new vehicle storage and maintenance facility on the property.
According to the report of City Administrative Officer Miquel A. Santana, the proposal does not include a new vehicle maintenance and parking structure, as that would push the total cost of the project to nearly $50 million.
Optimized for Police
Said Huizar, "unlike the current station, the new facility will be specifically designed and optimized for police work. While today's vote represents a great victory for our officers and our community, the City does need to continue to look for funds to add a vehicle maintenance facility and parking structure at the site sometime in the near future.”
According to Santana, LAPD has occupied the 41,000 square foot site since 1983.
City voters had previously approved a $7.51 million plan to renovate the building. However, the Proposition Q oversight committee put the plan on hold at the request of LAPD, who argued that the former film processing facility was not an adequate space for a police station.
