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CASPER, Wyo. — The second of three phases of the project to convert the former Casper Business Center into the next Casper Police Department headquarters began in January and is expected to be completed by February 2027, city staff reported at Tuesday’s Casper City Council work session.
The first phase of the remodel, focused on interior demolition and asbestos abatement, was completed in September 2025. Records show the city spent approximately $6.2 million during this initial stage, with the largest expenditures going toward environmental services and architectural design.
Phase 2 involves the installation of core infrastructure like mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems. City engineer Alex Sveda told councilors that the phase also includes some structural changes to the building, such as an opening in one of the ceilings that has been filled in.
This phase is estimated to cost $14.7 million.
The third and final phase is projected to cost between $17 million and $19 million. While work on Phase 2 is ongoing, the design and planning of the third phase is already underway, and Sveda said the design should be finished in the coming months.
Sveda said the last stage will focus on remodeling critical operational spaces, adding stand-by power and finishing the sally port where detained people can be transferred into the building from police vehicles. Construction for Phase 3 is slated to begin in June 2026, with a goal for the police department to move into the building by the end of October 2027.
Councilor Pat Sweeney asked if the existing CBC parking garage off David Street could be used as a sally port, and Police Chief Shane Chaney responded that its layout — with a loading dock, flights of stairs and more before reaching the elevators to the building — makes it ill-suited for transporting people.
“This is the most efficient way to get someone who’s in police custody in for active investigations in a secure manner,” Chaney said.
A notable change in the project plan involves the Municipal Court. Although originally excluded due to budget constraints, Sveda said the court was added back into the design for the second and third phases after new financial data regarding current rental costs accelerated the need for a permanent space.
The city must also finalize an alley vacation, which requires the signatures of nearby business owners before receiving final approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council.
Vice Mayor Kyle Gamroth asked about the status of the parking lot on the corner of First and Center streets, and Sveda said the lot had initially been included in the project’s scope but was later removed and will be addressed in the future as a separate project.
Once completed, the facility will utilize eight floors for various department needs. The basement will house property and evidence storage, patrol operations and records will be located on the second floor and dispatchers will work on the eighth floor.
