Hall County commissioners have approved more than $400,000 in funding toward a new training center building for the county sheriff's office.
The building is part of an expansion project of the existing training center on Allen Creek Road near Gainesville which started in 2016 according to a statement from the sheriff's office Friday.
“I saw then that in the future we would need a larger facility to accommodate all of our growth, as well as augment and improve the training our deputies receive,” Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said in the release. “I have always wanted them to be the best in the profession – that’s what our community deserves – and I want to make sure they have the tools to be the best.”
The expansion project is a joint effort between the sheriff's office and the FBI.
The first phase of the center's expansion was finished in 2019 with the construction of a firing range. The next phase is a 20,000-square-foot building that is expected to house classrooms, a physical assessment testing course and storage space.
The funding, which was approved at the commission's Tuesday voting session, will go toward the architectural design of the building. The county has agreed to a contract with Gwinnett County-based engineering firm Hussey Gay Bell for the design.
Couch said he appreciates the commission's support of the project.
“I’m really proud of everybody working together and moving this project forward,” Couch said. “I’m just glad that we live in a community that sees that the training of our law enforcement officers is important. This facility will show others that we take care of our people, that we provide the best training, have the best facilities and that the Hall County Sheriff’s Office is bringing their A-game to the table.”
