The City of Bettendorf has announced a timeline for its construction of a new police station beginning with the approval of an amended contract with the project’s architect to complete the building’s design.
In the wake of voters’ overwhelming approval to build the station, the city said in a news release Wednesday, Nov. 19, it is moving forward with the new construction project.
“The Bettendorf Police Department is deeply grateful to our community for passing the referendum,” Police Chief Doug Scott said in the release. “We are excited to begin this next chapter and are patiently looking forward to the day we can move into our new police station.”
The new $27 million station is to be built on city-owned ground off Devils Glen and Crow Creek roads near the Bettendorf Public Works Annex. The modern facility, which will replace its outdated, crowded offices at Bettendorf City Hall, is expected to be finished by late 2027.
On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the council approved a resolution to amend the city’s contract with Bray Architects.
“The initial agreement with Bray covered the preliminary work for the project, including master planning, space needs assessments, preliminary floor planning, and design and cost estimating,” City Engineer Brent Morlok said in a letter to the council.
Nearly 74% of Bettendorf’s voters said yes to the public bond referendum Tuesday, Nov. 4, during the Scott County/City/School election. The referendum question was championed by a citizens committee known as Say Yes for Public Safety.
The group, led by three Iowa Quad Cities leaders, contended on its website that a new police station is needed because: “Ensuring community safety begins with providing our police force with the resources they need. Our 66-year-old station is outdated and limits our officers’ efficiency, training and public engagement.”
Project timeline
The city outlined this timeline for the police station project:
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- Fall 2025-spring 2026 – The final design is divided into three phases: schematic design, design development, and construction documents. During the three-month schematic design phase, the Core Planning Team (CPT) – of Bray, Estes Construction, and staff from the city’s Police, Administration, Public Works, Finance, and Legal Departments – will review the site plan, building footprint, building massing and circulation, and exterior design. During design development, which also should last about three months, Bray, Estes, and the CPT will begin engineering building systems, such as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, and provide more detailed information on the design, while also selecting materials.
- Winter 2026 – The city’s Finance Department plans to sell the first set of bonds to pay for the project in February 2026. As mentioned during prior public informational meetings, the city will only issue bonds in the amount necessary to construct and equip the facility, which cannot exceed the $27 million authorized by the voters. To help residents understand the tax impact on their property, the city has created an estimation for every address that can be assessed by visiting www.bettendorf.org/MyAddress.
- Spring 2026-fall 2026 – Once the design development phase is complete, the CPT will prepare final construction documents and start bidding. Several bid packages are anticipated, with the full project expected to be bid by September 2026. At this time, a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) will be established between the city and Estes, which cannot exceed $27 million. The total project cost includes construction, design and construction management fees, and owner-provided costs (utility connection feeds, furniture, technology equipment, etc.).
- Fall 2026-fall 2027 – Construction is expected to last approximately one year and be completed by the end of 2027, weather permitting.
Budget checkpoints
According to the city’s release, detailed budgeting will take place throughout the entire final design. Under the agreement with Bray Architects, the Milwaukee-based architect with offices including downtown Davenport, must ensure the project remains on budget at four key checkpoints: after the schematic design phase, after the design development phase; halfway through the construction documents phase; and after completion of construction documents.
The city indicated that the Davenport-based Estes Construction, which has already been selected as construction manager, will work jointly with Bray to ensure the GMP is in line with the city’s budget.
Bettendorf and the police department have said the new facility will not only provide a modern working environment but also will significantly assist the police department in its mission to protect and serve.
The future site is centrally located, allowing for better response times, and will feature collaborative workspaces; adequate training facilities; secure spaces for the protection of staff, officers, equipment, and fleet; improvements to evidence storage; and a community room. The expanded footprint also will give the department the ability to grow, attract, and retain officers.
The city vowed to keep the community updated throughout the project at this webpage www.bettendorf.org/PoliceStationInfo. For questions, email [email protected].
