Bellaire will dedicate its new $9 million police and courts building then open it to public tours on Saturday morning (Feb. 23) — when the secret of its name will also be revealed.
The ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. at 5110 Jessamine St. with a ribbon cutting and a tribute to two officers killed in the line of duty in the last seven years, Bellaire PD Sergeant Jimmie Norman and Officer Marco Zarate. Norman was shot to death in 2012 by a suspect who fled a traffic stop, and Zarate succumbed to injuries suffered when he crashed his motorcycle pursuing theft suspects from Meyerland Plaza in 2016.
The state-of-the art facility replaces the low-tech, cramped facility that served Bellaire since 1957. The new building features the latest technology, a more secure jail, upgraded emergency operations center, facilities for training and fitness, the latest technology for crime prevention and public safety, and expanded court facilities.
Tours will run through 12 noon.
The building is the second of three new facilities constructed with bonds approved by Bellaire voters in 2013. The new City Hall opened at 7000 S. Rice Ave. in November, and the old City Hall was torn down this week to make way for a connecting Civic Center.
Because of all the construction and closing of Jessamine Street between South Rice and Fifth, parking for the police/courts dedication is expected to be challenging.
With weather issues also possible, the city announced it will offer livestreaming coverage of the dedication on the City of Bellaire Facebook page starting at 10 a.m.
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