Roswell, GA is setting its sights on public safety, with city leaders pulling the trigger on a decision to convert a shooting range into a high-tech 911 call center. On Monday, the Roswell City Council gave the green light to purchase the Sharpshooters USA building on Alpharetta Highway, a move that pegs the cost at $5.9 million, drawing from a $52 million public safety kitty approved by voters last fall, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
With unanimous support, the Council's strategy is to refurbish the 18,304 square-foot facility to house the city's new 911 Center and Emergency Operations Center - and still keep room for the boys in blue to practice their marksmanship, because the site is boasting not just your average gun range but a storage center, workshop and a sales floor to boot; the current owner, North Fulton Shooting Club, must be aiming to leave a legacy, as officials have put their money where their mouth is, promising renovations that'll brace the building against the might of hurricane-force winds, cited by WSB-TV.
Mayor Kurt Wilson didn't mince words when he laid out the city's intentions, assuring that this project follows through on the promise to improve the community's safety, "We promised Roswell voters that we would use bond monies to invest in public safety capital projects, and that’s exactly what we are doing," Wilson declared, revealing plans for the space to be shared with other law enforcement agencies, a shot at additional revenue for the city.
Leaders are betting big but playing it smart, choosing to renovate the existing structure is a cost-saving maneuver that also accelerates the process, fulfilling their public safety promise with what could be seen as lethal efficiency; their eyes are on a timeline that concludes in the fall of 2025, after a construction and design period lasting about 16 months, with optimists at City Hall imagining a seamless integration into their communication network alongside a financial boost from renting out the shooting range—all this according to WSB-TV.
While there's a standard due diligence review in the chamber, city officials expect to close on the property without a hitch, shifting the narrative from bullets to life-saving calls within the walls of what they hope will soon be a cornerstone of Roswell's commitment to its people's safety and security.
