Henrico officials break ground for new police station in Highland Springs

Henrico County officials gathered in Highland Springs Tuesday morning to break ground on the county’s new Henrico Police South Station, a $15.2-million facility that will take shape on 11 county-owned acres at 640 North Airport Drive, between Nine Mile Road and I-295.

When it opens in early 2025, the station will replace an existing one about 1.7 miles south, on Eastpark Court near I-64 in Sandston, which the county has been leasing for nearly two decades.

The new facility will be nearly 20,000 square feet in size, with administrative offices, training and conference rooms, break rooms, exercise and locker facilities and a garage bay. It will house patrol, special operations and emergency response units and will provide plenty of room for growth, Henrico Police Chief Eric English said during Tuesday’s ceremony.

“While we are thankful to have called Eastpark Court home base for many years, we are excited about this new opportunity for a permanent home for our south station,” he said. “This facility will help bring well-deserved attention to the county’s south end.”

The new station will provide a more visible home for the police officials who are based there and will feature a modern design and updated technology, English said. It also will serve as the home of the division’s K9 training operations, which will utilize a 5,000-square-foot training facility and a fenced, outdoor area; Henrico K9 handlers previously have had to train at other localities’ facilities, English said.

Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas thanked the county’s board of supervisors for prioritizing public safety funding that made the purchase of the site (and, ultimately, construction of the new station) possible.

“Without public safety, nothing is possible,” Vithoulkas said. “What we’re doing at this facility is absolutely exceptional.”

The new facility will include a backup 911 emergency communications center that county officials can use in the event the main call center ever becomes disabled, Henrico Board of Supervisors Vice Chair and Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson said.

“We are excited about this,” Nelson said. “By building a police station that’s tailored to the needs of the community, our county is showing once again unwavering commitment to public safety. The safety and security of our residents and of our businesses have always been, and continue to be, a hallmark to Henrico County. Every bit of it is about enhancing the quality of life and ensuring a bright future for our residents, for our businesses and for our community.”

The eventual completion of the station will bring to about $177 million the amount of money county officials have spent on new and renovated facilities in the Varina District in recent years, Nelson said, noting the construction of Highland Springs High School and renovation to the old high school (now know as “The Oak”), enhancements to Dorey Park and Sandston Library, and the current construction of Fire Station No. 23 on Nine Mile Road and Taylor Farm Park in Sandston.

“This need for an improved south station has been a long time coming,” English said, casting a glance to architectural drawings of the new station. “We are looking forward to these renderings that you see behind us becoming a reality in the near future.”

Henrico Police officials operate two other stations: Central Station, at 7850 Villa Park Drive; and West Station, at 7721 East Parham Road.