The Virginia State Police will be moving into a new headquarters in Roanoke County.
The Division 6 headquarters - currently located on 3775 W Main St in Salem - will now be located on 1745 Loch Haven Drive in Roanoke.
The current Division 6 headquarters is riddled with issues, such as mold, roof leaks and asbestos.
The new building - according to Virginia State Police Division 6 Public Information Officer Sergeant Rick Garletts - was bought “a month, maybe two” for just under $18 million.
Sgt. Garletts and other members of VSP took a tour of the building and were impressed.
“It’s the nicest state police building in the state, as far as I’m concerned,” Sgt. Garletts said. “Opportunities are huge here. It’s got room for growth. It’s got room for everything we need.”
VSP is getting this building for a third of the cost it would’ve been four years ago, saving the state millions.
While it does come with some of the electricals they need, it’ll take a while to get everything built up.
“So it is going to take time and some money to build it out to what we need as far as offices go, evidence rooms, drying rooms, a room for the DNA, Andy machine, a room from the NIBIN machine,” Sgt. Garletts said.
Meetings are already taking place in the new building and Garletts says that most - if not all - of central command will be in the new building at some point.
“Everything that we have spread out all over the place is going to be in here,” Sgt. Garletts said. “So we’re looking at probably a year and a half to two years before everybody will be moved in here.”
The old building will most likely be torn down after proper hazmat work has been done.