Corpus Christi mayor, council approve construction contract for new police training center

Police cadet Michael Love is shot with a Taser during training at the Corpus Christi Police Academy on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017.
Alexandria Rodriguez/Caller-Times

Corpus Christi Caller Times
John Oliva
December 20, 2022

Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo and the City Council approved a $21 million construction contact for Fulton Coastcon General Contractors, of Corpus Christi, for the construction of a new Police Training Academy in council District 5 during a meeting Tuesday.

The 34,000-square-foot academy will be located on 10 acres of land on Yorktown Boulevard at Del Mar College’s Oso Creek Campus. Construction is set to begin January 2023, with completion expected in the summer of 2024.

Funding for the project comes from general obligation bonds, certificates of obligation and the FY 2023 General Fund.

Since the 1950s, cadets and in-service officers have been trained by the Corpus Christi Police Department. To date, 80 cadet classes have graduated from the training program.

The current training facility on Corona Drive was purchased in 1981 and can no longer accommodate the growing needs of the police department, according to a release.

Guajardo said the building of a new two-story center is a "game changer" and ensures the safety of Corpus Christi.

“This will also enable us to significantly enhance our local recruiting and training efforts for years to come,” Guajardo said in the release.

City Manager Peter Zanoni said the facility will be the first in the city's history. He said by having a modern police training center, officers will have the training environment they need to prepare for the future of policing.

According to the release, the new location will provide cost savings to taxpayers. Del Mar College paid for preconstruction feasibility studies, traffic impact analysis, environmental studies and supporting infrastructure.

The academy will not only be used for training but will serve as a training resource hub for other Coastal Bend police agencies. It can be utilized as a Regional Police Training Academy and a backup Emergency Operations Center if necessary.

The center will include an auditorium, two classrooms, administrative offices, a driving simulator, a crime scene training room, a range simulator, a cadet breakroom, an armory, a weight-exercise room, a defensive tactics training room and a quarter-mile outdoor running track.