New Police Safety Complex

Greenville’s new $36 million complex has the city's public safety agencies in one spot

After three years in the making, Greenville's multi-million-dollar public safety complex is complete.

Officials showed off the anew Public Safety Campus and Municipal Complex Tuesday, April 8. The complex brings together Greenville police, fire, 911 dispatch, and municipal court in one location on Halton Road. Business licenses and building permits, along with departments such as human resources and information technology, are also in the 126,000-square-foot, building. 

Greenville Police Chief Howie Thompson said the $36.2 million to construct the complex was money well spent and would improve efficiencies.

“We can have meetings, make decisions, and take care of business a lot quicker,” Thompson said.

According to Greenville City Communications Director Beth Brotherton, the city spent more than $18.8 million for the property and $17.4 million for renovations. The money for the six-floor complex comes from capital improvement dollars, the general fund, and a $13.5 million bond. \

Greenville City Council authorized the purchase of 6.86 acres from the Fluor Corporation and an additional 5.9-acre tract in November 2021. To convert the building into a city complex, construction workers added three courtrooms, new technology for the different agencies, and made smaller structural changes. 

Thompson said the technology at the new complex will help response times drastically. 

He said four new consoles were added for dispatchers to take 911 calls, also lights that help the communications team monitor calls.  

Previously, the departments were scattered in multiple locations. The police department and 911 dispatch were headquartered at the law enforcement complex on McGee Street. The municipal court building was on North Main Street. The fire department was split between city hall and the convention center. Most of the other departments were in city hall.

“In the LEC, the dispatch area was dark, in the basement and there were no windows to the outside. Everything was so confined, and everyone was on top of each other,” Thompson said. 

Greenville County built the law enforcement complex in the 1970s and the courthouse was constructed in the 1940s. The Greenville County Detention Center and Sheriff’s Office remain at the McGee Street complex. 

Greenville City Manager Shannon Lavrin said it’s about time for the different departments to be in a new home finally.  

“Many of our employees have had to make do with outdated, cramped and inefficient buildings," Lavrin said. "Despite those conditions, they showed up every day and did their jobs with professionalism and pride, they deserved better.”