Tuesday, November 28, 2023–10:37 a.m.

-David Crowder, WRGA News-

The Rome Police Department will have a new temporary home, off Technology Parkway.

The Rome City Commission has approved $2 million for the purchase of the former Scott Logistics building at 16 Vail Street and an adjoining four-acre parcel at 19 Vail Street.

The commission also approved local contractor Multi-Craft Construction to perform the renovation work for $690,000.

“We would immediately, or as soon as practical, start working to renovate and transform this space into a new headquarters for the Rome Police Department,” said Rome City Manager Sammy Rich.   

The relocation of the Rome Police Department is the result of last year’s local option sales tax negotiations.

“One of the changes in the agreement was some exchanges of real estate,” Rich said. “In this case, we agreed, as part of the LOST negotiations, to move out Rome Police Department out of the joint law enforcement center. As you know, we have worked on this for some time, looking for a facility.”

More than $22 million dollars for the construction of a permanent city police headquarters is included in a special purpose, local option sales tax package approved by voters earlier this month.

“It is my ultimate hope that we will eventually locate a permanent police station in a more centralized downtown nature,” Rich said. “In the immediate future, this is an excellent opportunity for us to acquire a 20,000-square-foot facility with secure parking that will meet our needs. We will be able to do this in a manner pretty quickly.”

With the recent announcements out on Technology Parkway including the Microsoft data center, Rich believes the area is going to see a lot of change, making the purchase a good investment for the city.

The vote to approve the purchase and renovation was 5-0 with Commissioners Jim Bojo, Mark Cochran, and Craig McDaniel abstaining.