The City of Golden this week moved one step closer to a new police and municipal building.

During Tuesday night’s meeting, City Council members voted unanimously to award FCI Constructors, Inc. — which has offices in Colorado in Grand Junction, Durango, and Frederick — a $90,000 contract for pre-construction management and general contractor services for the Heart of Golden Police and Municipal Facility. Plans call for it to be built on the former Molson Coors property at 311 10th St. 

Assistant City Manager Steve Glueck told council members the contract would provide services to assist the city in designing the new building during Phase 1 of the Heart of Golden improvements.

The contract advances the project up to, but not including, the issuance of building permits.

However, the Heart of Golden project encompasses much more than just one new municipal building. 

According to city officials, the Heart of Golden is a special project that asked the community and local leadership to imagine the city’s future in 10 years, 20 years, and beyond. 

The concept would move several city facilities east of the Clear Creek Corridor to property purchased in 2019, creating more open space and community amenities in the Heart of Golden area.

“We’re looking at the whole Clear Creek corridor and how to make it more usable and desirable for residents while providing needed space for city and police services,” Assistant City Manager Carly Lorentz said.

Golden’s current municipal building was built in the 1960s. Over the years, the city has actively pursued options to find enough space to support the growing needs of employees, equipment and the residents it serves, Lorentz said. 

City officials say they are better positioned to assure the quality of the project by opting for the CM/GC model for the new facility.

By bringing the contractor in early in the design process, Glueck said there are more opportunities “to review constructability, look for design flaws, look for things the architect may have drawn that made sense to them but can’t actually be built, and make sure the costs is accurate.”

It also helps ensure the city’s previous project investments are properly monitored, and that can save money. 

Earlier this year, the city approved a $2.6 million contract with Denver-based Handprint Architecture for comprehensive architectural and design services.

Preliminary cost estimates for the new municipal center’s design and construction are estimated at around $60 million in 2025 dollars.

If the project follows the current timeline, construction would begin next summer.