What is this project?

The Dallas Police Department (DPD) operates the following:

• a property room, which is a secure area where evidence and recovered property are stored and cataloged;
• a crime scene lab that serves as a workspace for processing and analyzing evidence collected from crime scenes;
• a secured, covered evidentiary vehicle storage area used to preserve vehicles involved in investigations; and
• space for salvage and bait car operations, which supports managing and preparing vehicles used in theft prevention programs.

These functions are currently housed at three separate locations. The proposed project would bring all four related functions together at one site. City staff evaluated two site scenarios: a City-owned location on Vilbig Road with an estimated cost of $150M, and an alternate undeveloped site elsewhere in Dallas with an estimated cost of $232M, excluding land acquisition; due diligence is ongoing to determine the preferred option.

The project is currently planned to develop a facility with controlled-environment evidence storage, modern forensic work areas, and dedicated vehicle holding areas to support investigative operations and proper chain‑of‑custody procedures. The $150M requested would fund design, construction, equipping, and site development, once an identified location is selected.

Estimated Cost by Component

Due diligence is ongoing to determine the preferred option.

City Owned Property

• $12M

  Building 1 - evidentiary vehicle, salvage, and bait-car storage

• $88M

  Building 2 - DPD property room & crime scene lab

• $50M

  Secured/covered parking & vehicle storage, site work and utilities

• $150M

  Total City Owned Property

Undeveloped Site

• $32M

  Building 1 - evidentiary vehicle, salvage, and bait-car storage

• $114M

  Building 2 - DPD pro​perty room & crime scene lab

• $86M

  Secured/covered parking & vehicle storage, site work and utilities

• $232M

  Total Alternate Propert​y

Funding

No funding for this project was included in the original 2024 Bond Program. Based on information presented to City Council, the estimated cost of $150M is proposed to be funded through the November 2026 Bond; no other funding sources have been identified to date.

How This Fits Into the November 2026 Ballot

This project would be funded through City of Dallas Proposition A — Public Safety Facilities, a proposed $443M general obligation bond authorization. Proposition A is also planned to fund several other public safety facility projects not covered on this fact sheet, including the Law Enforcement Training Center, the Public Safety Training Complex, the Emergency Operations Center/911 Facility, and Fire Station No. 4 replacement.

Under Texas law, the official ballot language for this proposition is required to state: “This is a tax increase”; however, the city's tax rate will not increase related to this bond program. The estimated repayment for all of Proposition A, including principal and interest, is $629,618,180 over a term not to exceed 20 years.