The City of Venice Police Department and Ajax/Tandem Construction invite the public to a groundbreaking event for the City’s new Public Safety Facility at 9 a.m. Friday, May 17, at the site, 1575 E. Venice Ave. Parking will be to the west at Venice Church of the Nazarene at Ramsey Road and East Venice Avenue – look for the signs.
There will be covered seating. Guest speakers will be followed by a “shovel” photo op for the new facility.
Appropriate footwear is advised. Light refreshments will be provided.
Construction manager Ajax/Tandem Construction began initial clearing for the new Public Safety Facility on April 8 and will continue to clear, excavate and grade in preparation for the foundations, according to Detective Sergeant Rob Goodson, Venice Police Department representative for the project.
The site is located on 10 acres along East Venice Avenue. The project, currently budgeted at $17.6 million, is mostly funded through a $16 million public safety bond approved by City voters in November 2016. Dewberry is the project’s architectural firm. The facility will be 31,421 square feet and hardened to withstand a Category 5 hurricane with winds in excess of 157 mph. In the event of a hurricane, it will turn into an Emergency Operations Center for City staff. Expected completion is August 2020.
