- The county was given 16 million dollars of state money through the Florida Division of Emergency Management to build the safety complex.
- The current building the houses the Gadsden County Sheriffs Office and Gadsden County Emergency Management is over 70 years old.
- Watch the video to see when county leaders say the complex will be completed
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Gadsden County is getting a new public safety complex, but neighbors are wondering why construction has not started yet. I’m Ashley Engle your Quincy neighborhood reporter. Right now, I’m standing where the current public safety complex is which is over 70 years old.
This is where the new complex will be built on Joe Adams Road. I’m asking county leaders why construction hasn't started and when this building is expected to be finished.
"This is not going to be an overnight process."
A long process for a brand new 16-million-dollar public safety complex Gadsden County is building.
The county got this money through the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
"We're finally to the point where we can start having the open discussions because we do want our citizens, we want our stakeholders, we want the public to be aware of or to know the projects and the things we are working on."
Commissioner Ronterious Green and other leaders broke ground on the new complex back in October.
But neighbors have noticed, construction has not started yet.
"It's a process that we have to go through that every county has to go through."
Gadsden county administrator Edward Dixon says since the groundbreaking, construction has not started because the county was going through many different approvals.
"We've been talking about our needs and designing the building. It takes a little while. Every building is designed for this particular purpose and in this particular area."
Take a look at your screen. These are the renderings of what the complex is going to look like.
Leaders say all these steps takes months.
"Just the formality of any major multi-million-dollar project has to go through those checks and balances."
The new public safety complex will house both the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office and Gadsden County Emergency Management.
"Now that we have the design, we are going to bid and very soon, you should see trucks and excavators and back holds going to work."
The complex is coming later rather than sooner but all the steps take time for the complex to keep neighbors here safe.
"Please be patient and be aware of the construction that is going to be taking place.
County leaders tell me neighbors can expect this building to be completed by late 2026. In the Quincy neighborhood, I’m Ashley Engle, ABC 27.
