Plans for Redlands' future police headquarters point to a next phase that will make the project impossible to miss. A July 2026 report said demolition had begun at the former Kmart property at 1625 W. Redlands Boulevard, and structural steel is scheduled to start going up this December.
According to Community Forward Redlands, steel installation is set to run from December 2026 through March 2027 at the roughly 60,000-square-foot facility. The outlet reports the foundation work alone required installing more than 1,000 ground-stabilization elements to reinforce the site before any framing could begin. Once steel work wraps, the project moves into building framing along with exterior and interior improvements from April 2027 through January 2028, followed by finishing work and site improvements throughout 2028.
A New Headquarters for a Growing Department
The station is designed to consolidate Redlands Police Department operations, currently spread across four separate facilities, into a single headquarters built to accommodate roughly 90 sworn officers, civilian staff and future department growth, per the same outlet's earlier reporting on the project's second construction phase. The project is expected to open in 2028.
Redlands Daily Facts reported in July that construction was scheduled to start in October. A separate 2023 estimate from the Redlands Community News placed the overall project timeline at an expected 46 months.
Latest Contracts Target Solar Infrastructure
The Redlands City Council approved two third-phase construction agreements totaling $2,094,884 on October 20, covering steel and electrical work tied to planned solar infrastructure at the site. BF Steel Inc. was awarded $1,100,950 for steel work associated with the solar installation, while Southern California West Coast Electric Inc. received $993,934 for electrical work, according to the site's reporting. Those agreements will be funded through proceeds from the city's 2026 certificates of participation, a form of long-term borrowing cities use to finance public facilities.
The council also approved $49.7 million in construction contracts.
An April Cost Estimate
An April estimate put the project's total cost at $93 million.
The city's financing plan anticipates approximately $58 million for the police station itself, with an additional $20 million coming from the General Fund or Future Facilities Reserve, per Community Forward Redlands. In June 2026, the council authorized up to $85 million in certificates of participation covering three projects at once: the police station, Fire Station 264 and heating and air-conditioning improvements at A.K. Smiley Public Library.
Budget Pressures Loom as Debt Payments Arrive
The financing package carries consequences for the city's broader budget. Annual debt payments across the three combined projects are projected to reach approximately $5 million starting in fiscal 2029, and city officials have projected the need for roughly $4.5 million in ongoing budget reductions beginning that same year. New employee labor agreements reached in September 2026 already added $1.2 million in recurring General Fund costs, compounding the fiscal squeeze officials are bracing for.
In Redlands, structural steel is scheduled to start going up this December.
