SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — After more than a year of construction and moving, the Angelo State University Police Department is ready to celebrate its new building with an open house event.

Construction began in January 2023 after ASU held a groundbreaking ceremony at Vanderventer Plaza, a building the college acquired in 2021 for an estimated $700,000. The location, situated near Lily's Pizza and Asian Market, was renovated over the course of a year with the goal of improving ASUPD's capabilities and bringing its headquarters closer to the campus.

"We're now a lot closer and more visible to the community," ASUPD Police Chief James Adams said. "Secondly, the facility we have now is a lot larger than the facility that we had before. We're also right next door to the Emergency Operation Center, a state-of-the-art space that's going to be used dual-purpose for training and as an emergency center should we need to use that in the future."

The police department officially moved into its new 8,000-square-foot home in early January 2024, leaving its old location on the corner of West Avenue N and South Jackson Street just as renovations for Vanderventer Plaza were expected to conclude. After being fully transferred into its new location for a few months, ASUPD now wants to give the public a close-up look at the facility.

"When we moved in, there was still a lot of construction that was taking place," Adams said. "Now everything's pretty much been done, which is why we're doing the open house this Friday."

The open house is scheduled to take place on Friday, April 26, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the new building, located at 2410 Vanderventer Ave. The event will formally kick off with a flag-raising ceremony, after which guests can take part in a tour of the new facility. Attendees will also be able to see the inside of the department's new police cars.

"We're excited about the new location and our ability to better serve the campus and the community at large, and we're more than delighted to invite anybody who's interested to come by and see our new facility," Adams said. "I think they'll be extremely impressed by what they see on the inside."

News Source : https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/local-news/angelo-state-university/asupd-to-celebrate-new-building-with-open-house/