SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The Syracuse police and fire departments are slated to fully work out of their new home at 1153 W. Fayette St. in March or April 2026.
This timeline for the new public safety building in Syracuse was presented by the Department of Assessment to the city council’s Public Safety Committee in a presentation June 9.
Prior to Monday’s meeting, the timeline for completion of Syracuse’s new public safety building was poised to be sometime in early 2026. Now, the city has a clearer timeline and an understanding of the steps needed to meet that goal.
Michael Lehmann, the assessment department’s deputy commissioner, laid out what he sees as the biggest challenge to this timeline.
“I think it’s really just the integration of the services,” said Lehmann. “The furniture and getting folks comfortable with where they are, but also the installation of technology, features that would be required for communications.”
The next step in the project is an assessment of the furniture and equipment that’s in the current public safety building, in order to see what can come to the new building and what needs to be bought.
Syracuse Deputy Police Chief Richard Shoff said his department will start meeting with all parties involved weekly: Lehmann from the assessment department, CHA consulting and the fire department. He believes the integration of new technology is the hardest part of the process.
“The hardest thing was the information, the technology,” said Shoff. “We have to make sure that everything is in place. When you bring over your computers you don’t realize you need jacks, plugs, and wires. So that’s all being done now.”
Shoff also says the building will allow for the police’s patrol to be brought under one roof. When the courthouse was built next to the current safety building on 511 S. State St., the police department’s control facilities were moved to Erie Boulevard.
So what needs to happen next?
According to Public Safety Committee Chairperson Chol Majok, the legislature has to approve $2 million for new furniture for the building.
That vote is slated to take place June 23.
Majok said now that the legislature has this update, the Public Safety Committee is responsible for authorizing necessary funding and thus, keeping the timeline on schedule.
Majok added what signal this building sends to police and fire departments.
“It’s a chance to boost morale because all the employees work in a safe place…it’s a level of assurance from the city,” said Majok.” That’s what’s most important because police and fire put their lives on the line. The least we can do as a city is give them a space where they can do their job most comfortably.”
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Updated timeline for Syracuse’s new public safety building
Anchors: The city’s Department of Assessment met at city hall today to share new details on a new public services building. Our Kyra Ceryanek was at that meeting and is now live in front of city hall now with the latest. Kyra?
Kyra Ceryanek: Going into this meeting all we knew regarding the timeline was that the new building was poised to be up by early 2026…now we have a clearer view of when the city of Syracuse can expect their new public safety building to be up and running.
Councilmen and Assessment Department: What are we looking at? I think that they can begin moving in January. Hopefully the first quarter.
Ceryanek: It was the main question on the minds of the Public Safety Committee today…When will Syracuse Police and Fire be fully up and running in their new home? The answer? March or April of 2026. Deputy Commissioner of the City’s Assessment Department Michael Lehmann laid out the biggest challenge to this timeline…
Michael Lehmann:“I think it’s really just the integration of the services. So not just as we described the furniture and, but folks, getting comfortable with where they are, but also the installation of technology, features that would be required for communications.”
Ceryanek: Other details on the coming public safety building were announced today…Public Safety Chairperson Chol Majok asked questions of the city’s assessment team, trying to get a more clear picture of the timeline. One of these being the next phases… one will be the process of assessing the existing furniture and equipment that’s in the current safety building and deciding what is worth moving to the new building on 1153 W. Fayette Street. The second part of this is deciding what new equipment will need to be purchased. There was one thing that all parties involved had in common. Counselor Majok explained the overall importance of this new building for those who will be working inside of it…
Counselor Chol Majok: “It’s a chance to boost morale because all the employees works in a safe place…it’s a level of assurance from the city.”
Ceryanek: Councillor Majok tells me the next step is legislation…the legislature has to authorize the 2 million dollars price tag. That vote is expected to happen two weeks from today. Live in Syracuse, Kyra Ceryanek, NCC News.