In mid-2025, data shows the annualized rate of the U.S. construction spending for public safety in the U.S. to be approximately $19.35 billion. That number includes both new construction, renovation and repair projects, representing near-record highs heading into 2026. With no slowdown in momentum in sight for law enforcement, corrections, and emergency services infrastructure spending, this trend is more than symbolic — it’s a financial reality.
At the same time, the municipal bond market is surging to support these types of law enforcement investments. Amid concerns over constrained federal funding and political gridlock, the municipal finance community has flagged infrastructure, including public safety, as a top priority in 2025. Simply put, the pipeline is active, the capital is flowing, and the next wave of law enforcement facility projects is underway. Below are five examples of consequential upcoming law enforcement and public safety projects currently in development.
Residents of Sugar Land, Texas, voted to invest $63.2 million to modernize the city’s public safety facilities, including construction of a new police headquarters and major renovations to an existing police unit and a municipal court building.
The Sugar Land Police Department has more than doubled since the original law enforcement facility was built. Over the years, numerous specialized units such as forensic services, digital forensics, K9, drone, and special response teams were developed, and these units with their need for space reinforced rising demands for public safety operations.
The current building, which now serves many municipal divisions, will undergo renovation on approximately 43,000 square feet. The project will also provide improvements to courtrooms, modernization of second-floor spaces, and upgrades to building system equipment. Site improvements will include expanded parking, upgraded security fencing, landscaping, and a backup generator.
The centerpiece of the project is a new headquarters, expected to be about 50,000 square feet, designed to consolidate critical safety operations. The new building will house administrative offices, emergency operations, dispatch, and support services under one roof, which will create better response time not only for service calls and police response when environmental disasters occur. Currently in the design phase, the project will likely be ready for construction solicitations by fall 2026.
Town officials In Ridgefield, Connecticut, will soon launch a $77.4 million project to deliver a new public safety facility that can support a consolidation of the city’s fire and police departments into a single building. Following a feasibility study, officials recommended consolidation, noting it would improve operational efficiency.
The new public safety facility will house four key operations: the police department headquarters, the fire department, EMS and ambulance services, and a 9-1-1 dispatch center. To reduce duplication and long-term operating costs, the design will emphasize shared training, designated public space, and additional support offices.
Project components include an apparatus bay with drive-through access, gear storage, decontamination areas, medical supply storage space, EMS support rooms, and dedicated fire operations offices. Additional shared spaces, such as training and briefing rooms, IT and telecom rooms, and storage areas will be available for use across all departments. A structured parking garage will be replaced with terraced surface parking. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.
Council members with the city of Indio, California, have approved plans for a new law enforcement facility that, when completed, will serve as an anchor for the city’s public safety campus. Estimated at $45 million, the project will construct a facility to support police operations and improve all aspects of community safety for the rapidly growing city.
The single-story, 28,000-square-foot building will include a public lobby with a conference room near the entrance, a separate patrol entry, and secure operational space. Plans also feature outdoor exercise areas partially shaded by a solar canopy, additional public parking, and a secure sally port. A planned 9/11 memorial will be constructed at the campus corner.
The police headquarters will be located near other recently completed public safety facilities, including a fire station, dispatch center, and services building. The new public safety campus will be a centralized hub for emergency response and public safety coordination. Officials anticipate releasing solicitations for construction in early 2026, with groundbreaking expected by midyear. Construction is projected to last 24 months, positioning the facility for completion in 2028.
Montana state officials have announced plans to expand the Riverside Correctional Facility in Boulder using funds from the newly approved Future of Corrections Fund, which allocates $246 million to upgrade various state correctional facilities. The project will be fully funded by the Future of Corrections Fund, and the total project cost will be determined as the planning phase progresses.
The project is in the early planning phase, which is managed by the Montana Department of Administration’s Architecture and Engineering Division. Preliminary plans call for doubling Riverside’s capacity by adding 60 beds through renovation of an unoccupied building. Renovations will also expand medical services, programming space, and inmate work opportunities. New administrative offices and site-wide security upgrades are included.
The renovations will address capacity issues and provide more space to expand programming such as reentry services, not currently available within the state. Conceptual plans are expected by 2026, followed by design and construction solicitations.
City officials in Buckeye, Arizona, have announced a new $97 million public safety headquarters project. The funding was approved by voters in a 2024 general obligation bond election. The new headquarters that are being planned will centralize the city’s police and fire divisions and include space for patrol, special operations and criminal investigations. Early design documents also indicate that there will be spaces for laboratory operations, detention holding cells, emergency operations and a dispatch center. Design work on the project began in May 2025 and a construction manager at risk (CMAR) solicitation is slated for release in mid-2026.
Public safety is no longer just about staffing and technology, it’s about the physical infrastructure that supports both. Cities, towns, and states are investing heavily to replace outdated buildings, create shared safety campuses, and design facilities that can adapt to modern policing, fire response, and emergency management. With billions in construction already in motion and financing pipelines wide open, it is safe to expect that these types of projects will redefine how communities house and deliver public safety for decades to come.
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