Waco police HQ shift to old Hillcrest moving slowly
By Cindy V. Culp Tribune-Herald staff writer
Little physical progress has been made to turn the old Hillcrest Medical Tower into new headquarters for Waco police.
A small amount of infrastructure work, such as some plumbing, has begun at the building, Waco Assistant Police Chief Ryan Holt said. But more of the planning process must be finished before major work can begin, he said.
The city is waiting on conceptual drawings from the architectural and engineering firm it hired for the project, Holt said. Those drawings will offer several proposals for how the tower can be converted from an office building to a police facility.
City of Waco signs have gone up outside the old Hillcrest Medical Tower in North Waco.
Jerry Larson/Waco Tribune-Herald
Depending on the estimated construction costs, one or more of the building’s 10 floors might not be renovated right away, Holt said.
“I think we’re just getting a handle on what the building is capable of,” Holt said of the planning process to date.
Renovation timetable
Earlier estimates suggested major renovation work would begin in November. Officials are unsure if that timetable still will hold true, he said.
Once the work begins, the renovation should take about a year.
The city took possession of the tower at the beginning of the year. The building’s previous owner, Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, used to have its main hospital at the North Waco campus where the tower is located.
But a year ago, Hillcrest opened a new main hospital across town.
The city started negotiations to purchase the tower in June 2007. That was shortly after voters approved $13 million for a new police headquarters via a bond election.
The city paid $3 million for the tower, plus $260,000 for the 360-space parking garage nearby. The rest of the bond money will be used for renovation.
At 100,000 square feet, the tower boasts more than three times the space available at the police headquarters on North Fourth Street.
Meanwhile, Hillcrest spokesman Adam Price said 90 percent of space has been leased in two medical office buildings at the hospital’s new campus at Interstate 35 and Loop 340. The two buildings have a combined 150,000 square feet and cost $32.5 million.
cculp@wacotrib.com
757-5744
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