TAVARES, Fla. -- After years of being housed in cramped, outdated and somewhat unsafe quarters, the Tavares police and fire departments are moving into a new 38,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Public Safety Complex that, according to officials, is the only one of its kind in Florida.
- Tavares police, fire departments moving into new facility
- The Public Safety Complex is 38,000 square feet
- Ribbon cutting ceremony and open house held Friday
"There’s no comparison to this design," said John Ambach, of Mount Dora's Ambach Masonry and Construction Inc., which had a hand in the construction. "It’s a place of beauty and includes many of the modern safety and technological features available today. Everybody in the state will be looking at this facility."
"People moving in here will be going from the outhouse to the penthouse," he added.
More than 200 people attended Friday's ribbon cutting celebration and open house for the new facility.
The new Public Safety Complex also will serve as the city’s Emergency Operations Center during storms and other emergency situations.
The new facility still needs some interior work and will be ready for operation in about a month.