Atlanta Public Safety Training Center security enhancements could raise price tag by $1.7M

- The price tag for the controversial training center for Atlanta police and first responders could get a little more expensive. The Atlanta City Council is considering a proposal to spend $1.7 million to improve security around the site. It's the latest in a series of cost increases that have sent the price soaring over $100 million.

One council member opposes the latest proposal. He says the city would not send it through the proper bidding process.

Councilman Antonio Lewis, District-12, supports spending $1.7 million for the training center. But he says the city should let other contractors bid on it.

"I think we have to secure our property," Lewis said. "I agree with whatever number the CFO and the mayor came up with that it takes to put the police back in their zones."

APD officers since the winter of 2023 have been guarding the controversial center at Intrenchment Creek Park in DeKalb County. The city is now considering a proposal to reassign those officers to regular duty and pay $1.7 million to prime contractor Brasfield & Gorrie for what the council calls security enhancements. That's on top of the price tag that's already soared to $115 million.

The City Council's Public Safety Committee on Tuesday approved a measure to waive the process that would normally ask for bids from other contractors to improve security. Lewis voted no. "Other people should be able to bid for that procurement like any other procurement in the city of Atlanta?"

Lewis says waiving the procurement process also prevents contractors of color from bidding. "There's no way that any minority business could even enter into this process," Lewis said.

Councilman Michael Julian Bond, Post 1 At Large, says waiving the process in this case makes more sense than asking other contractors to bid. "The contractor contractually has authority over the site until the first quarter of the year," Bond said. "This is a quicker, more efficient way to get that done to keep timeline for opening the facility for later in the year."

When asked how he explained the extra cost to taxpayers, Bond responded "that cost was already contemplated in the original legislation."

Bond has said in the past the city should have done a better job of communicating the initial cost to the public earlier in the process.

The reason for this latest proposed $1.7 million jump? Bond points to damage from vandalism and clashes at the center that turned violent. "There was some increase in the cost because of the damage being done to the site, so that was unforeseen. We live at a time when all of our city facilities have to have a certain level of security enhancements."

The proposal goes to the full council. The next council meeting is this coming Monday.