Puyallup dedicates new public safety building, to house police headquarters and emergency operations center

City of Puyallup leaders and first responders gathered at a dedication ceremony to mark the opening of a new public safety building that will house the police department and the city's emergency operations center. City Manager Steve Kirkley said the council reviewed options and chose to lease the existing facility to save time and money, and that the arrangement will keep the department under one roof for at least the next 30 years.

"We will not give up until you and your team are sitting in a new police station," Kirkley said during remarks about the project's long history and the decision-making that led to the current plan. Chief Scott Engel thanked the public for turnout and described the facility as "historic and frankly monumental," saying it includes evidence rooms, interview rooms and task-force spaces designed to keep operations confidential and efficient.

Officials said the council evaluated multiple iterations and ballot measures between 2020 and 2024 before approving the lease and design. Kirkley told the audience the leased option was chosen after due diligence because it could be completed faster and would save the city "substantial funds over the next 30 years." During the ceremony another speaker noted the project remained "under budget and on time."

The building will also contain an emergency operations center intended to support coordinated responses to large community incidents such as floods, Kirkley said, calling modern emergency infrastructure "absolutely essential." Mayor Ned Whitting and Deputy Mayor Dean Johnson both praised the police force and emphasized the project's role in supporting community safety. Johnson said the council vote to advance the project had been unanimous and credited city staff and private partners for delivering the work.

Contractors and consultants who worked on the project were publicly recognized at the ceremony. City staff and speaker tributes named the Benoya Company, McKenzie Architecture, JTM Construction and several engineering firms as principal partners who helped deliver the facility to schedule. Larry Benoya, Brett Hansen and Dave Ransen accepted recognition on behalf of their teams.

Organizers said the new facility will improve workplace conditions (including gender-appropriate locker rooms), provide upgraded technology and data-sharing capacity, and enable detectives and forensic staff to work in dedicated spaces. Event organizers also announced a drone photo, a ribbon cutting and self-guided public tours with restricted access to evidence areas and a request that visitors not take interior photographs because the site is a secure police facility.

The ceremony concluded with remarks that the building's design and location will help Puyallup meet future growth while strengthening relationships between the police and the community. Officials said the former 1968 station will be retained as a substation and that historic items recovered from the old building would be displayed inside the new facility.