North Seattle police precinct building won't cost quite so much
It's been called an “overpriced police bunker.”
And the proposed North Police Precinct in Seattle hasn't even been approved.
Council member Lorena González says she will propose legislation to build the precinct. In it, she's asking city leaders to lower the overall cost to $149 million.
That's $11 million less than the current estimate.
González says she was concerned about the price tag, but says there is a real need for police facilities in north Seattle.
"About 30 percent of the service calls that are received by the police department are received from north Seattle,” she said. “The north police precinct currently, which was opened 30 years ago, was intended to house about 154 staff members and it currently houses 254."
The existing north precinct building would likely stay open.
The new one would be scheduled for a 2019 opening, if approved by the city council.
The police department says it needs the large facility for sophisticated training, required by the federal consent decree.
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Paige Browning
Newscaster
Paige hosts midday newscasts and monitors news of significance to the Puget Sound region. She hopped over Washington’s mountains to join KUOW, after hosting news and reporting at Spokane Public Radio since 2011. She began her start in radio while a journalism student at University of Montana, by sharing stories with KUFM. Paige was raised in the mountains and rivers around Spokane. In her spare time she cheers on the Mariners in the summer, and hopes for snow in the winter.
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