Willmeng Construction recently joined the City of Surprise to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Surprise Police Department’s first-ever substation. Located at the northwest corner of 163rd Avenue and San Ysidro Road, the nearly 32,000-square-foot facility is designed to serve as a fully equipped operational hub and keep pace with the rapid population growth in the northern part of the city.
“With the tremendous growth we have experienced in the northern area of Surprise in recent years, this substation is essential,” said Surprise Police Chief Evan Becher. “It ensures we can keep pace with the needs of a rapidly expanding area and deliver the high level of service our residents expect and deserve.”
Designed by Perlman Architects of Arizona, the $5.7 million facility will accommodate approximately 60 sworn officers and civilian support staff. The building will feature dedicated spaces for report writing, briefings, and evidence processing, alongside a secure booking suite with holding cells. Highlighting the project’s high-tech infrastructure, the substation will also house the future Real Time Crime Center, allowing officers to actively monitor surveillance feeds and supply live intelligence to units on the ground.
“If this police substation looks anything like our last fire station, these officers are in for a real treat,” said Surprise Mayor Kevin Sartor. “This isn’t just a building, it’s a commitment to the community. It’s a commitment to having our police in the community and transcending just basic police work, but going to that community policing where you know each other by name.”
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To ensure the facility supports the demands placed on it by law enforcement, Willmeng and the project partners placed a heavy emphasis on built-in officer wellness and specialized training components. The substation includes an innovative, fully equipped kitchen, a fitness center, recharge rooms, and a dual-purpose training facility designed for officers to practice physical tactics and safely decompress.Recognizing the essential service that K-9 officers provide the community, the facility also boasts an industry-leading K-9 operations center. This specialized wing includes five individual indoor kennels, outdoor exercise areas, wash stations, and a secure K-9 sally port for protected deployment, alongside dedicated spaces for municipal animal care and control.
This landmark project marks the latest major municipal facility Willmeng is delivering for the City of Surprise, building on a strong partnership that includes the recent Surprise Rescue Oasis Aquatic Center and Park, Fire Station 309, Fire Station 304, and Fire Station 308. By building the new police substation right next door to Fire Station 304, Willmeng is helping create a comprehensive public safety campus that will make access to the northern sector much easier for first responders, drastically lowering response times and putting patrol units closer to the community.
“Where you can consistently get the right bonds passed, where you consistently have city management, the Mayor, and a City Council in alignment to support the men and women that serve, it is just remarkable,” said Willmeng CEO James Murphy. “We get to build a lot of different types of facilities, but a consistent theme in Surprise is industry-leading, innovative, and doing the right thing for the right reason. We are very thankful for our spot on this team.”
Construction on the Surprise Police Substation No. 1 is expected to be completed in the fall of 2027.
