The Atlanta City Council voted Monday against spending $1.7 million for more security at the controversial public safety training center site.
The training center, known as “Cop City” by opponents, is set to open next month. The $90 million budget for the training center has ballooned to $115 million since the council approved funding for the project last year. City officials have blamed vandals for much of the increase.
The council voted 7-4 to deny waiving a competitive bid process to award a $1.7 million contract to Brasfield & Gorrie. Eight votes are needed for legislation to pass.
The failed legislation said the funding would be used to “install all necessary security provisions” but does not detail what that would include.
Marshall Freeman, chief administrative officer for the Atlanta Police Department, told the council’s public safety committee at its Nov. 12 meeting the additional funding was needed “due to the continued threats of violence.”
“We sit in a space today where there are some changes and modifications that are needed to the physical site itself, as well as some technology enhancements,” Freeman said. He provided no specifics.
Because Brasfield & Gorrie is the general contractor for the public safety training center, the city cannot go through a bid process to hire another general contractor to make the security modifications, Freeman said.
In January, city officials said the $90 million budget had jumped to $110 million due to vandalism.
At the Sept. 23 public safety committee meeting, members were told the budget was now up to $115 million.
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