New Idaho Falls Police Department complex to be unveiled and you’re invited to take a tour

The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Police Department.

IDAHO FALLS – On Tuesday, April 23 at 1:30 p.m. a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held for the long-awaited Idaho Falls Police Complex. The Idaho Falls Police Complex at 775 Northgate Mile stands as the city’s first consolidated and standalone facility for the Idaho Falls Police Department. The facility, which brings all of IFPD’s police officers, support staff, specialty vehicles, and equipment to one location, will allow IFPD to be more accessible to the community, and enhance police services in Idaho Falls.

Prior to moving to the Idaho Falls Police Complex, the police department was split between eight different buildings, with staff on a day-to-day basis at six of those locations. This fragmented approach to housing the department negatively affected the department’s ability to be accessible to the public, to solve crimes, and to best address public safety needs in the city.

The Idaho Falls Police Department moved into its previous primary location, the Bonneville County Law Enforcement Building, in 1978. As the city and police department grew in the past few decades, IFPD was unable to expand within the Bonneville County Law Enforcement Building. Instead, the department expanded into additional locations downtown and in other areas of the city. These spaces were often borrowed from or shared with other City departments, and one was even temporarily donated by a private business. Prior to 1978, IFPD had historically shared facilities with other City departments in City Hall, with the Idaho Falls Fire Department, and even occupied a small space on the second floor of a building on Park Avenue.

The Idaho Falls Police Department and the City of Idaho Falls have been concerned about police facilities since the early 2000s. A study conducted in 2003 found that the facilities were inadequate at that time – 20 years ago. Since then, similar studies were conducted by three separate architectural firms and two committees of Idaho Falls community members. Each firm and citizen’s committee independently confirmed the need for a new police facility.

The most recent citizens review was conducted in 2019 by the IFPD Facilities Evaluation Citizens Committee. The committee unanimously recommended “that the City of Idaho Falls pursue a dedicated and consolidated police facility in order to best serve the law enforcement and public safety needs of Idaho Falls. It is also our recommendation that this be put into motion as soon as possible and not risk any further delays, as has happened in years and decades past.”

In late 2019, the City of Idaho Falls purchased the Idaho Livestock Commission property, commonly known as the “Stockyards”, as the intended home of the Idaho Falls Police Department. The stockyards closed in 2019 and the property was placed on the market. Multiple properties were considered prior to purchasing the property, including green/brownfield sites, empty big box stores, and properties with existing structures. Ultimately the stockyard property was selected based on property size and cost associated with the site, but also proximity to high crime areas, the potential impact on redevelopment of the area, and a number of other factors.

The City conducted a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to search for an architectural firm to design the new police facilities. In April of 2020, the project was awarded to a partnership of two firms – Architects Design Group, a national firm that specializes in police facilities, and NBW Architects, a local Idaho Falls based architect.

The Idaho Falls Police Complex was built within a $30 million budget and funded through Certificates of Participation. Certificates of Participation is a funding mechanism that allows governmental entities to secure financing for capital projects without incurring long term debt. The financing comes in the form investor purchased certificates, which are repaid over time in the form of lease revenues, as opposed to bond interest. This funding mechanism allows the City to make payments for the new facility from the existing tax base and revenues from impact fees, rather than increasing taxes on Idaho Falls citizens. This financing model also allowed the City to begin work on the facility immediately, taking advantage of historically low-interest rates in 2020 and to get ahead of continually rising construction costs.

In March of 2022, the Idaho Falls City Council approved the bid award for the Idaho Falls Police Complex to Ormond Builders, an Idaho Falls based construction and contracting firm that was founded in 1980. The construction team broke ground in April 2022.

Construction on the Idaho Falls Police Complex was recently completed and the department has been moving into the facility over the past few weeks. The lobby will be accessible Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Police officers can be reached around the clock by calling Idaho Falls Police Dispatch at (208) 529-1200.

Community members are welcome to attend the ribbon cutting, which will take place at the main entrance on Tuesday, April 23rd at 1:30 p.m. The Idaho Falls Police Honor Guard will conduct a flag raising ceremony, raising the national, state, and city flag for the first time at the complex. Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper and Chief of Police Bryce Johnson will also share remarks.

Community members are invited to tour the Idaho Falls Police Complex and to see and hear first-hand how the facility will enhance police services in our community. Tours must be scheduled in advance and can be requested on the Idaho Falls Police department website.