State lawmakers have approved spending nearly $57 million for a new building to house Michigan State Police headquarters in West Michigan, which would include a forensics lab.
Slated for property in Walker, the facility would house the state police post currently in Rockford, sixth district headquarters and a new forensics laboratory.
The Rockford post and sixth district headquarters operate out of the same brick building at 345 Northland Drive NE in Rockford. It was constructed in the 1930s and is considered too small and outdated. Forensic operations are housed in a building at 720 Fuller Avenue NE in Grand Rapids.
If approved by Gov. Rick Snyder, the new facility should be ready for occupancy by December, 2020, state documents show.
The $57 million appropriation was approved Wednesday before the Michigan Legislature adjourned for the year.
Plans call for the 100,308-square-foot structure to be built near Four Mile Road and Walker Avenue NW. Proponents say it is centrally located with easy access to Int. 96.
About half of the building would house a state police forensics lab, according to a House Fiscal Agency report. The project would also include parking for 310 vehicles.
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