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Evening shot of Palo Alto Public Safety Building & Emergency Operations Center; 2 story building fronted by a public plaza and covered entrance with a row of floor-to-ceiling windows illuminated along the top floor

Palo Alto Public Safety Building

A Public Safety Building Designed to Be a Good Neighbor

Area

137,500 SF

Certification

Targeting LEED Gold

Estimated Completion

2025

Unique Features

Combined EOC, police, fire, and 911 facility

The new Palo Alto Public Safety Building expands public safety services within a high-performance, resilient structure. The new 24/7 facility can operate independently during natural disasters. The design prioritizes flexibility, collegiality, and community sensitivity. Coupled with a robust public engagement process, the result is a public safety building designed to be a good neighbor in a sensitive, established neighborhood.

Palo Alto Public Safety Building & Emergency Operations Center; Detectives in suits and uniformed police officers sit in conversation at café tables and soft seating in a double-height atrium that is bathed in sunlight. An abstract mural of a tree covers the back wall
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The new PSB contains a police station, fire administration, and emergency communications and operations facility. It includes two full-block subterranean floors of secure police and staff parking, a site utility yard, a public plaza, and a 135-foot communications tower. To compensate for the parking lot now occupied by the PSB, the project includes the design and construction of the new stand-alone 636-stall California Avenue Parking Garage.

Palo Alto Public Safety Building & Emergency Operations Center; a woman at the visitor check-in counter speaks to a uniformed officer behind the glass. Behind the officer is a workspace with low cubicles. In the public waiting area, a woman sits in a row of seats, while behind her, two visitors and a police officer chat on wooden amphitheater-style benches
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The engagement process for the new PSB had an exceptional reach. The design team successfully addressed the needs of numerous city departments, community groups, and design review boards, ensuring everyone felt included.

group of 13 smiling fire department personnel stand flanking the cab of PAFD Engine 66, which is parked in front of Palo Alto Public Safety Building & Emergency Operations Center
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