The Police Department on Thursday started moving its core group into its new headquarters building that once served as the corporate offices of Dan River mills.
The department's transition from its current headquarters in the Municipal Building located downtown at the corner of Patton and Court streets to the new headquarters should be complete by the end of the month.
A ribbon-cutting for the public is being planned for a date to be determined in October.
The new station replaces not only the space the Police Department has occupied at the Municipal Building, but also at a hodgepodge of offices at buildings downtown.
With 57,000 square feet, the complex provides nearly five times the amount of space – 12,000 square feet – the department has occupied.
A driveway off Bishop Avenue is under construction and will eventually serve as the public entrance. The driveway will be named Community Way, with the station’s address being 1 Community Way. Until completion, the Memorial Drive entrance that once served the Dan River mills corporate headquarters will be used as an entrance.
The new headquarters is the result of a public-private partnership that included the historic restoration of the original Dan River mills building and construction of an add-on building that will serve as a multipurpose space for training, ceremonies, and community engagement events.
