City leaders tonight will present an update to City Council on the Regional Public Safety Academy planned for Southtown Centre. Officials plan to break ground in June with the facility opening in November 2007.
The 125,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility would provide police, fire, emergency medical services, and homeland security training and education for professionals and students from Northeast Indiana and across the Midwest. The academy has also been designated as the first of 10 regional fire training centers in Indiana.
Education partners include IPFW, Ivy Tech, Indiana Tech, Taylor University, St. Francis University, Tri-State University, and Fort Wayne Community Schools (Anthis Career Center). The educational institutions will use classroom space at the academy to teach and train students to become public safety professionals.
The academy would be built as a LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certified building. LEED standards address water conservation, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and the use of sustainable materials in construction. The academy would become only the second building in Indiana to apply for LEED commissioning.
City Council tonight will discuss the City's proposal for a $24 million bond to finance the project. The total project cost is $27 million. A final vote could come on February 14.
