After nearly two years of consideration, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik has decided to keep the city's police headquarters right where it is.
Rather than construct a new building, the city will spend an estimated $67 million to renovate the current police headquarters, the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center in Downtown Akron, officials wrote in a Friday release.
The building is deteriorating, with frequent HVAC issues and broken-down elevators. The Akron Municipal Court moved out of the building because of these issues in 2023.
“The current APD station presents significant difficulties for the functioning of the Akron Police Department, both in the deteriorating condition of the building and in the layout of available space making the need for a renovation very clear,” officials wrote in the release.
The renovations will be spread out over a few years, across multiple budget cycles, according to the release. This, instead of constructing a new building, will allow the city to save money, according to the release.
“After reviewing our options, I feel that this path is the best one to ensure that we have a long-term solution for our Akron Police Department that is safe, effective, welcoming to the community, and fiscally responsible,” Malik said in the release.
Renovating the building also prevents a building in the downtown footprint from vacancy and potential demolition, officials added.
Malik first opened a request for proposals for the police station in February 2024 and narrowed the list down to three locations, including Stubbs, in July of that year.
The other locations considered were a building at 80 W. Bowery St., a vacant structure initially designed for retail use currently owned by Akron Children’s Hospital, and a vacant plot at 178 S. Forge St. the site of the Wonder Bread bakery and offices before its demolition in 2024.
The construction timeline is not yet available, but officials say work will start in early 2026, Malik added.
“In 2026, we will be replacing two of the public elevators in the front of the building and an employee elevator in the rear of the building, replacing the heating and cooling lines from the basement to the 10th floor, and beginning the design for the full renovation,” Malik wrote. This renovation is going to take a number of years, but in the end, we will have a much more modern and welcoming home for our Akron Police Department.”
Police Chief Brian Harding is excited by the decision, he wrote in the release.
“We look forward to a station that our team can be proud of, meets our needs and has space that is welcoming to our community,” Harding said. “We’re glad to have a decision made and to move forward with this long-needed renovation for the benefit of our officers and our residents.”
