With construction completed over the summer and departments beginning to move into the facility, Palo Alto’s new public safety building will officially open later this year.

Located on 250 Sherman Ave., next to California Avenue, the new three-story building began construction in 2021.

It will encompass many agencies including the city’s police department, which is relocating from its old Downtown location.

Project architect Colette Chew said the old police station’s limitations were a reason for relocation.

“The existing police station was built in the early 70s, and it doesn’t meet the current code for an essential service building,” Chew said.

An essential service building must be able to withstand disasters and emergencies — a standard that the new police station will be able to meet, according to Chew.

Lieutenant Nicolas Martinez from the Palo Alto Police Department noted the convenience of having several divisions of the department under the same roof.

“The new public safety building houses the police department, fire administration and the office of emergency services,” Martinez wrote in an email. “This allows the department heads to meet in one place, which in turn allows decisions to be made in a timely manner.”

As teams work to move into their new site, the old police station location is currently being evaluated for a future project.

“We hired a consultant to do studies on what to do,” Chew said. “We don’t have any decisions yet, but we are surveying the space.”