The city of Charlotte has decided to scrap plans for a standalone emergency operations center that was originally budgeted for $74 million, but whose cost has risen to $106 million.
"After much discussion with the police and fire chiefs, we believe we can meet our needs by adding space to a planned police or fire station to house the 911 centers," city manager Marcus Jones wrote to council members in a recent memo to council members.
The decision comes after the city has already spent millions of dollars on the project.
Eight years ago, council members bought seven acres of land along Statesville Avenue for the project. It was supposed to be built near the city's new headquarters for the Fire Department and act as a catalyst for long-neglected neighborhoods north of uptown.
Around that time, the city estimated the project would cost $74 million.
But the memo said the city has faced "ballooning" costs that have reached $106 million, even though the project has been scaled back. For instance, the city already decided that the building would not house MEDIC and a city data center.
The city has already spent $14.4 million on the project. A spokesperson for the city said the city may use the land to build "workforce housing" or for another public safety use.
