City Celebrates Grand Opening of New Police Training Academy

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - The City of Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christ Police Department (CCPD) today celebrated the grand opening of the new, built-to-suit Police Training Academy, located at 6902 Yorktown Boulevard.

The 34,000-square foot, multi-level facility is located on 9 acres of land on Del Mar College's Oso Creek campus. The facility includes many state-of-the-art features such as crime-scene and incident simulation rooms, two large classrooms, an auditorium classroom, a large tactical training room, men's and women's locker rooms and showers, a physical endurance room for physical conditioning and endurance training, an armory, and a 400-meter outdoor synthetic track.

"On behalf of the entire City organization, the Mayor, and the City Council, I am very pleased to say that this modern facility reflects our commitment to public safety," said Peter Zanoni, City Manager. He continued, "Since 2019, the City of Corpus Christi has made significant investments into public safety, such as adding 55 officers for a total police force of 501 officers, purchasing more police vehicles, upgrading the public safety radio system and 911 Call Center, and establishing the Flour Bluff Police substation with two more in the process to begin construction."

The 84^th cadet class of the Corpus Christi Police Academy will begin using the facility immediately and finish the remainder of their training there. This represents a notable upgrade from the previous training space on Corona Drive. Purchased by the City in 1981, the academy outgrew the original building, which was small and outdated and could no longer accommodate the growing needs of the CCPD.

"I am deeply grateful for the vision, dedication, and hard work that has gone into creating our city's new police academy," said Corpus Christi Police Chief Mike Markle. "This is more than just a beautiful structure; it is a paradigm shift that symbolizes progress, strength, and unity. This state-of-the-art environment is where future officers will be inspired to serve and protect with excellence. With our community partnerships, may this space foster learning, growth, and the unwavering commitment to justice for generations to come."

The Council approved a $1.5 million design contract for the new training academy with Turner Ramirez Architects in 2021 and a $21 million construction contract with Fulton Coastcon General Contractors in 2022.

For more information, media representatives can contact Rachel Esses, Senior Public Information Officer, at (361) 826-3884 or by email at [email protected].