Tuscaloosa County Opts To Use $9.5M In Federal Funds For New TCSO Operations Center

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa County Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved setting aside $9.5 million in federal aid money to be put toward associated costs and construction of the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office's new operations center on 35th Street.

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County Administrator Melvin Vines presented the plan to the Commission to its regular meeting, explaining that $10 million in funding received by the county under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was unrestricted in terms of what the county can spend it on.

"I think that would be a little more than what the building is going to cost from where we are now," Vines said. "But that would ensure it would be paid for out of those federal funds that would be a gift to the county and the money would not be taken out of county reserves."

As Patch previously reported, the new facility will house the TCSO Patrol Division, in addition to serving as storage for county's voting machines. The land was originally obtained by the county from the Alabama State Board of Education.

Metal Roofing Solutions, of Duncanville, was selected as the firm that will handle the construction of the new building on 35th Street, with its low bid coming in at $1.2 million.

Site work on the project was approved in May 2021, to the tune of $150,000.

TCSO Chief of Administration Loyd Baker said on Wednesday that the goal was for the project to be completed by January 2023.

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