Delayed $21.8M Tampa police annex returns to council

Delayed $21.8M Tampa police annex returns for review and funding approval.

Chuck Merlis April 13, 2026

Tampa City Council will reconsider a $21.8 million contract to build out a Tampa Police Department annex on Howard Avenue, part of a project to consolidate evidence and forensic operations into a single facility.

The resolution would award the contract to J. Kokolakis Contracting, the lowest of three bids, for work at 5005 N. Howard Ave.

Rendering of Tampa Police Department evidence and forensics annex exterior — Rendering shows planned TPD annex on North Howard Avenue, consolidating evidence and forensic operations.

The project includes renovation of a roughly 38,000-square-foot warehouse and a 7,300-square-foot expansion, along with interior buildout, site work and security systems. Construction is expected to take about two years.

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The item returns under staff reports and unfinished business, having been continued from an April 2 meeting.

The facility will relocate the department’s Evidence Control Section and Forensic Unit from the McKay Bay area and shift functions out of downtown headquarters to adjoining sites on North Howard Avenue and North Albany Avenue.

Funding would come from non-ad valorem bond proceeds through the city’s capital improvement program, with related agenda items outlining additional allocations and reimbursements tied to a second phase.

The construction cost comes in below earlier estimates, with city documents showing the project narrowed to roughly $27 million after bids were received.

Kokolakis Contracting’s bid came in below proposals from Burke Construction Group and Mainstay Construction Services. The contractor met the city’s small business participation requirements, with 28% of the work expected to go to certified local firms.