Celina’s New Police Headquarters - A Modern Landmark Designed for Excellence in Law Enforcement

In the heart of one of Texas’ fastest-growing communities, a Capital Improvement Project has taken shape that will serve as a functional backbone for Celina’s highly-respected law enforcement officers, a testament to the City’s commitment to safety and security.

The new Celina Police Department Headquarters, situated at the intersection of Punk Carter Parkway and Coit Road, is a testament to the City’s commitment to progress. This $31.5-million investment is not just a building, but a state-ofthe-art law enforcement facility, dedicated to maintaining the pinnacle of 21stcentury policing.

With Celina’s population skyrocketing in recent decades, the City has outgrown its existing Police Department building. As the fastest-growing city in the country, the need for a modern, secure headquarters has become more pressing than ever.

“Across the years of the department’s history, multiple different spaces have served as a makeshift home for police operations in Celina,” said Celina Police Chief John Cullison. “Our officers and command staff have been flexible and grateful for each space we occupied. In recent years, however, our City’s development and our department’s expansion have illuminated the need for a permanent home.”

The current police headquarters, a facility dating back to the 1970s, was originally an educational wing of the old First United Methodist Church. Over the years, it struggled to keep up with the growing staffing needs, lacked modern security features, and provided limited space for essential functions like evidence processing and emergency operations.

City leaders, understanding the critical role of law enforcement in maintaining public safety, recognized that a new, modern headquarters was essential to ensure that Celina’s finest could continue delivering exceptional public service amid the community’s rapid expansion.

Recognizing the unprecedented relationship between the community and law enforcement, City leaders ensured that the new headquarters was a project of the people. The City of Celina engaged the architecture firm Brinkley Sargent Wiginton to spearhead the design efforts.

From the initial vision sessions, it was clear this would be no ordinary police building. As architects masterfully do, the team sought to create an environment tailored specifically to the needs of modern law enforcement - one that promoted efficiency, security, health, and wellness for officers and civilian staff alike.

The design team wanted to avoid the institutional, cold feeling of many traditional police facilities. They worked to integrate natural materials like wood and stone, paired with abundant natural lighting, hoping to establish a warmer, less stressful workspace that uplifts the spirits of the department’s personnel who serve there and the public guests who would visit.

Their result was a 32,660-square-foot main structure that stunningly showcases form and function. The exterior façade features limestone and glass accented by steel and exposed wooden beams. This craft extends indoors, where cross-laminated timber decking provides warmth and texture.

With a keen awareness of the inevitable future development of Celina and the department, careful space planning allows for the building to expand easily as the City’s growth continues. The lobby welcomes visitors with an open, friendly ambiance, including a community room suitable for public events, training sessions, and press/media briefings. However, security remains paramount - the area beyond public spaces is hardened with ballistic resistance.

On the secured side of the Celina Police Headquarters, staff will find designated spaces for administration, investigations, patrol operations, community services, and the records section. Plans for a new emergency dispatch center will boost Celina’s technological capacity as part of the project design. Specialty areas were created to cater to departmental needs, such as evidence processing and storage and crime analysis labs.

The facility’s design fosters transparency in the community spaces by integrating multiple public-facing components. The spacious lobby allows citizens to visit the records reception desk, and a designated community room offers a gathering space for neighbors.

“We wanted the public-facing aspects of this facility to foster the mutual trust we share and make our police presence more approachable than it has been in our other facilities,” said Chief Cullison. “Having these open yet secure, shared spaces helps break down perceived barriers between the public and public safety. And in the areas that must be secure, we believe the building’s design makes those spaces safe and impenetrable for the officers assigned there.”

Perhaps the most distinctive element is the headquarters’ strong focus on promoting health and wellness for Celina’s law enforcement professionals. In addition to the natural lighting and wooden beam atmosphere, an integrated courtyard offers a serene spot for downtime.

Inside, officers will have full-scale men’s and women’s locker rooms with specialized police lockers joined by a unified break room opening onto the courtyard. However, the thoughtful design extends further, with an entire area fortified to withstand an EF5 tornado, providing safe shelter within the secured perimeter.

“The nature of police work is extremely demanding, both physically and mentally,” shared Celina Police Department Public Information Officer John Thacker. “These new areas were created to offer a place away from these demands, giving our team the outlets and resources to unwind and recharge. This building, especially the areas created for our officers, creates a warm and friendly environment critical to the well-being of those who serve.”

Complementing the main building, an adjacent 5,600-square-foot support structure focuses on the real-world and practical needs of policing. Designed to handle property/evidence intake, analysis, and long-term storage, it relieves that burden from the main headquarters building.

The facility also incorporates indoor and outdoor spaces to allow defensive tactics training, physical training, and physical fitness workouts critical for achieving peak operational readiness.

“The care and diligence of our design team brought everything onto one unified campus rather than having services fragmented across town,” noted Assistant Chief Brent Brown. “It centralizes our capabilities and creates those missed opportunities for collaboration that often lead to better law enforcement service.”

Transforming this ambitious vision into reality tested the skills of construction firm Lee Lewis Construction. Pioneering techniques like timber framing on such a large-scale public safety project meant overcoming hurdles. The contractors had to meet some unique structural specifications, particularly when building a modern landmark that would still provide the community and Celina’s police with necessary amenities.

Furthermore, extensively coordinating the mechanical, electrical, and technology integrations for all the various controlled spaces and security systems was an intricate task.

Along with providing an exceptional workplace for officers, the new headquarters aims to set an example of environmental stewardship for civic buildings. Implementing energy-efficient lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and reflective roof materials reduce the facility’s energy and water consumption.

The design team also emphasized elements that decreased construction material waste.

“Having worked on many municipal projects throughout my career, I was so impressed with the thoughtful care given by the architects and designers in utilizing the materials that would, over the long term, be more cost-effective and environmentally efficient. Our new headquarters will help our Police Department grow and continue to deliver the service that we expect as a City and that our residents expect,” said City Manager Robert Ranc.

Construction firm Lee Lewis was the vital general contractor, while Brinkley Sargent Wiginton led the architectural design. Engineering partners included Bury Structural Engineers (structural), Quinion Lindsey ES (civil), and SHA (mechanical/electrical/plumbing).

The project budget also covered outfitting technology, furnishings, and equipment from vendors such as Motorola Solutions, Scott Rice Office Interiors, and Tyler Technologies. These partners helped design and implement systems for dispatch, emergency operations, data/communications, and more.

The new police station has been meticulously designed to accommodate future expansion, incorporating features such as curtain walls and an HVAC system tailored to facilitate this growth. While this foresight has added to the initial costs, it is expected to significantly reduce future expenses by planning for imminent expansions.

Additionally, the headquarters’ design includes a dedicated space for hosting the entire I.T. server infrastructure, ensuring 24/7 physical security for our on-premise systems. Furthermore, the City will partner with a peer city to establish security redundancy for our I.T. infrastructure, enhancing overall system resilience and reliability.

For a rapidly expanding community like Celina, having this stateof-the-art police headquarters is projected to pay tremendous dividends. The increased staffing capacity allows the department to scale up law enforcement to meet rising service demands as residential and commercial development continues.

City officials estimate that investment will have over $100 million in economic impacts from both construction spending and the provision of further population growth.

“This move of our Police Department from their downtown location to the new headquarters solidifies our public safety commitment and gives businesses confidence we can handle much larger corporate relocations or operations. The safety and security of our families, businesses, and those who visit our community has always been and will forever be a preeminent priority of our City. I am so grateful that our Police Department has this fantastic new home,” said Ryan Tubbs, Celina Mayor.

After nearly two years of construction, the Celina Police Department will officially celebrate the grand opening of their new home in September with a special public ceremony. The festivities will include a formal dedication, facility tours, static displays of police vehicles and equipment, family activities, and more.

The Celina Police Department hopes the entire community will experience the pride and cutting-edge capabilities of this modern landmark that will help ensure Celina’s public safety for decades to come.