Fort Myers breaks ground on $147.2M police headquarters 

The Fort Myers Police Department is getting a new headquarters designed to improve public safety for generations to come and expected to be one of the catalysts for redevelopment and growth in the city’s Midtown district. 

Construction began this month on the $147.2 million project, with officials gathering Sept. 22 for a groundbreaking ceremony on the 8.5-acre site at 2150 Fowler St., just south of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on Market Street. 

Fort Myers awarded Wharton-Smith Inc. a $109.1 million contract to manage construction of the 182,000-square-foot building, which is expected to be complete near the end of summer 2028. Other costs include land acquisition and project design. 

“This new police headquarters represents a long-term vision for our department and the community we humbly serve,” Fort Myers Police Chief Jason Fields said during his remarks at the ceremony. “We are creating a modern facility that meets our needs today while preparing us for the growth and challenges of tomorrow.” 

Parker Mudgett Smith Architects Inc. and Architects Design Group designed the building. Jeff Mudgett said the building is designed to be “efficient, transparent and secure.” 

Fort Myers Police Capt. Roger Valdivia, who has helped lead development of the new building since 2019, also emphasized its modern utility and efficiency. 

The police department’s current facilities are fragmented, officials said, with divisions, such as headquarters, homicide and traffic operating out of separate buildings. 

“We’re all over the place and it’s just not efficient,” Valdivia said. 

The new headquarters will house all divisions under one roof, with room for growth through at least 2045. Fort Myers Police staff currently includes about 265 officers and 100 civilian workers, Valdivia said. 

The new headquarters will feature a large lawn for public gatherings, a state-of-the-art real-time crime center and a gun range. 

“It’s going to be the best of everything, the latest of everything,” Valdivia said. “It’s built for the future.” 

The investment is one of the largest commercial construction projects in the city’s history. It’s also part of a series of public and private investments transforming the Midtown district. 

Construction recently began on the city’s multiphase Midtown streetscape and infrastructure project, for example. The new headquarters also sits near the newly built Montage at Midtown apartment complex. Officials also are in discussions with a private developer to build a sports fieldhouse and mixed-use attraction to replace City of Palms Park. 

The new headquarters will be “one of the cornerstones of the Midtown development area,” Fort Myers City Engineer Nicole Setzer said. “This facility will have a strong civic presence, help anchor future redevelopment and demonstrates the city’s confidence in Midtown’s continued growth.” 

Fort Myers Economic Development Director Steve Weathers said he expects the headquarters to help catalyze surrounding redevelopment and improve confidence in public safety. 

While the city doesn’t yet have firm plans for what to do with the old police headquarters, Weathers suggested the site could be a logical location for a new grocery store complex to serve a potentially growing Midtown population. 

Weathers emphasized a synergy between the new headquarters and other key Midtown and downtown sites that could be easily accessed by area residents and visitors. 

“I think we’ve got a really bright future,” Weathers said. “And the beauty of these sites, they’re all diverse and different but they’re all in proximity.” 

Fort Myers Director of Financial Services Christine Tenney said the city plans to issue $125.9 million in bonds to finance most of the project. That also assumes the city will receive $11.25 million in proceeds from the sale of the former News-Press site to Midtown Catalyst LLC. The sale is scheduled to remain in the due diligence process through Nov. 11. 

A typical 30-year repayment term at 4.6% interest would cost about $7.82 million per year in debt service. 

Fort Myers City Council also approved an increase in the millage, or property tax rate, from 6.5000 to 6.9000 mills, or $6.90 per $1,000 of taxable value, for fiscal year 2026-27. The increase will help fund the city’s operations and capital improvement plans.