Construction is officially underway on Hillsboro's new police headquarters, with city officials, officers and neighbors turning ceremonial shovels at a July 1, 2026 groundbreaking. The future home of the Hillsboro Police Department will be built with mass timber, a design choice the department says carries an embodied‑carbon benefit equivalent to about 1,581 metric tons of CO2. That is roughly like taking 334 cars off the road for a year or supplying power to about 167 homes. The project is designed to bring multiple precincts under one roof, harden the city's emergency response capabilities and create modern spaces for public meetings and day‑to‑day police operations.
Groundbreaking Crowd, Ceremony Photos And What Police Shared
In a post on the Hillsboro Police Department Facebook page, the department said community members, city leaders and officers and staff who serve Hillsboro all turned out for the groundbreaking. The post also featured photos from the ceremony along with short notes highlighting the building's design details and its projected environmental benefits.
Police Chief Jim Coleman said the new headquarters is intended to be as supportive for staff as it is functional for the city. The facility will "contribute to employee wellness, both physically and mentally, and will help us retain our talented employees and attract new employees to serve Hillsboro in the future," he said, according to the City of Hillsboro. The city notes the building will rise near Hillsboro Airport at NE 25th Avenue and NE Beacon Court, with construction slated to begin in 2026 and the headquarters expected to be up and running by 2028.
Mass Timber Choice And The Carbon Calculations
The department's Facebook post explains that the new headquarters will use mass timber and repeats the estimate of a 1,581 metric ton CO2 benefit, framed as the equivalent of taking roughly 334 cars off the road or powering about 167 homes. Mass timber has been gaining traction in the region because life‑cycle studies indicate it can reduce a building's embodied carbon compared with traditional steel and concrete in many cases. A recent systematic review of life‑cycle assessments found that mass‑timber buildings often show lower embodied‑carbon footprints than comparable conventional structures, though the exact results depend heavily on the study design and underlying assumptions. That review lays out more detail on how those carbon estimates are calculated and compared.
How Hillsboro Is Paying For It And What Happens Next
The city has been setting aside capital funds for the new headquarters and recently issued a $91.8 million full faith and credit bond to help pay for the project along with other public facilities, according to the City of Hillsboro. Next up are the less glamorous but crucial steps: detailed design work, securing permits and choosing contractors. City officials say existing Hillsboro Police Department facilities will remain open while the new headquarters is built so patrols and community programs continue without interruption.
