DALLAS — The Dallas Police Department is partnering with UNT Dallas to build a new police academy, and it presented renderings of the potential new building to the Dallas public safety committee on Monday.
Training operations for DPD have most recently been held at an academy located at 5610 Red Bird Center Drive, but the lease for the building expires in July 2027, officials said.
DPD first began working with UNT Dallas in June 2021 on a new academy to meet the needs of the department and the community. Plans include a state-of-the-art training facility, a higher education environment, expanded hiring and retention offerings, and a reduced cost of land and infrastructure for the city.
Currently, DPD says it has secured $20 million in funding for the new facility from the state, and that has requested $50 million as part of the 2024 bond package. The department has also been, and continues to, fundraise privately, officials said.
The city and UNT Dallas are in the midst of negotiations for a preliminary ground release, with guiding objectives including an annual lease of $1 per year, on a 40-year lease with four 10-year renewal options, and the use of about 5 acres of the UNT Dallas campus, with the potential of sharing adjacent park land.
A proposed timeline for the academy shows the city plans to secure a ground lease contract this year, as well as finalize a method for designing the new building.
The design phase is slated to begin in 2024, as is the bond election which, if passed, would provide the additional $50 million needed for the project.
Construction is slated to start in 2025 and be completed by 2027.
