Noblesville Approves New $50M Police Department Headquarters

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — Fencing at the former Firestone plant on Division Street will soon give way to orange construction cones as the City of Noblesville prepares to break ground on a brand new, $50 million police headquarters.

The Noblesville City Council recently approved the financing proposals for the state-of-the-art facility, aiming to replace a current headquarters that officials say the department has long outgrown.

“The facility they’re in currently was established in 1992. It’s fit for a police department in 1992,” said Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen. Since that building was built, Noblesville has grown four times in size. “In the fastest-growing suburb in the Midwest, you’re going to have construction. It’s progress. Cones equal progress.”

The new 59,000-square-foot facility will stand as a massive upgrade from the current 18,000-square-foot space, which the department currently scrambles to share alongside a local firehouse and the city courts.

Noblesville Police Chief Brad Arnold has watched that rapid expansion firsthand throughout his career.

“I came to the department in 1993. I was the 30th officer. The city at the time was just under 20,000, so the city has grown four times in the time I’ve been here in the last 33 years, with the department growing equally with it,” Chief Arnold said.

The expansive facility is designed to comfortably house all 111 current officers on the force, 14 civilian staff members, and allow room for future personnel expansion.

The project has been in development for over a decade, delayed primarily by extensive environmental remediation required at the old Firestone site. With the land cleared and financing secured, construction is slated to officially begin this fall and is expected to take two years to complete.

Mayor Jensen emphasized that providing top-tier infrastructure to law enforcement is directly tied to the community’s high quality of life.

“Most recently ranked the 12th safest suburb in America. That doesn’t happen by accident,” Jensen said. “That happens by proper investment and training, and this new facility will go a long way to assist with that.”

Construction is scheduled to begin this fall and will take about two years to complete.