The City of Montgomery broke ground on an expansion of its Safety Center, the joint police and fire complex on Montgomery Road that was built in the mid-1990s. The project will overhaul the building and add new space to accommodate the growing demands placed on the city's police officers and firefighter-paramedics.
According to City of Montgomery, Ohio Government, the newly broken-ground project will provide space and resources to meet rising public safety needs while ensuring residents continue to receive what the city describes as exceptional service and protection. The construction budget and building specifics were detailed in project documents reviewed via ConstructConnect, which lays out a full interior renovation paired with the new addition.
What's Being Built
Project specifications call for a covered police vehicle parking area, a sallyport, holding cells, and an evidence storage room for police operations, according to the same ConstructConnect listing. On the fire side, the plans include dedicated apparatus bays, workout facilities, and new sleeping quarters for firefighters. The city's Facebook announcement notes the project also includes relocating the fire apparatus bays to give emergency vehicles direct access to Montgomery Road, a change officials say will improve response times and on-site safety.
The Safety Center at 10150 Montgomery Road also houses the municipal Mayor's Court, per the ConstructConnect listing. Construction is set to begin following the seasonal closing of the adjacent city pool this month, with substantial completion targeted for August 2, 2028, and the building will remain fully operational across the multiple construction phases.
Council Approval and the Building Team
In August, the Montgomery City Council formally approved Resolution 21-2026, authorizing a Construction Manager at Risk contract with Conger Construction Group to build the expansion, according to documents posted by the city. The expansion was designed by App Architecture, which submitted its initial design proposal to the city in 2025. Montgomery's Facebook post also announced the groundbreaking.
Why the Space Crunch Exists
The push for more room traces back to a fundamental shift in how Montgomery staffs its fire department. Following voter approval of the 2018 Fire/EMS Levy, the Montgomery Fire Department transitioned from a volunteer and hybrid structure to a full-time staffing model, according to the city. The project includes sleeping quarters for firefighters working full-time shifts.
The expansion also tackles long-standing site constraints. Beyond the new emergency service facilities, the campus project adds dedicated parking for police and fire personnel while expanding parking capacity for patrons of the adjacent municipal pool, which shares contiguous grounds with the Safety Center off Montgomery Road, the city says.
A City Building From Financial Strength
Montgomery is undertaking the Safety Center project.
The Safety Center serves Montgomery, Ohio. Discover Policing lists a population served of 10,163 for the Montgomery Police Department, which operates out of the complex with a force of approximately 20 to 22 sworn officers, per Discover Policing.
Part of a Broader Construction Wave
The groundbreaking arrives as Montgomery pursues other development work, including Phase II of the nearby Montgomery Quarter mixed-use development. The Safety Center project will bring construction activity to the area during the work.
