The new Robert W. Healy Public Safety Facility, which will include a state-of-the-art Police Headquarters and Emergency Communications Center, will be located at 125 Sixth Street (between Bent and Rogers) in East Cambridge. The City had been seeking to site a new Police Headquarters for a number of years and the option to purchase the new five-story shell structure in East Cambridge presented an excellent opportunity to obtain a new building without the expense of new construction in an increasingly volatile construction market. After a series of public outreach meetings by the City Council’s Public Safety Committee and throughout the City by the Cambridge Police Department (CPD) in 2004 and 2005, the decision to purchase was reached and the City Council unanimously voted in support of the purchase on April 11, 2005.

In August 2005, Michael J. Black was hired as Construction Project Manager for the new Public Safety Facility. The architectural firm Kaestle Boos Associates, Inc. (“KBA”) was selected after a designer selection process. Horizon Engineering Associates, LLP was also selected through a designer selection process to provide building commissioning services and to prepare the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification documentation.  KBA and their consultants are designing the building fit-out with the goal of achieving a silver LEED certification for this project.

The roughly 100,000 square foot fully accessible building will include 16 adult prisoner detention cells, a holding cell and juvenile cells, a media room, state of the art evidence processing and training facilities and a 91-car garage. In addition, the new ECC will include state-of-the-art emergency communications facilities, benefiting Cambridge residents and enhancing Cambridge’s security and public safety preparedness.  

The building is located within walking distance from the Kendall Square red line T-station and the current (and soon to be constructed new) Lechmere green line T-station. Four different MBTA bus lines (Routes 64, 68, 69, CT2) and the EZ-Ride run near the building.

Interior design build out of the building is complete and the construction bid awarded. Construction began on March 1, 2007.Completion is anticipated in Fall 2008.