The Florida Department of Law Enforcement hosted a groundbreaking ceremony this morning to celebrate construction on the new Pensacola Regional Operations Center (PROC) “James T. Moore Building.” The new building will be named after former FDLE Commissioner James T. Moore, who served in that role from 1988 to 2003.
FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen said, “Today’s groundbreaking is historic with the building being named after one of FDLE’s greatest leaders and our longest serving commissioner, James T. Moore. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our lawmakers and the FDLE members who, throughout the years, worked to bring this project to fruition.”
FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Chris Williams said, “This new building will give us the space we need to grow in both investigations and forensics, allowing PROC to better serve the needs of our local law enforcement communities and those statewide.”
Construction will begin on the 6.8-acre campus in Marcus Pointe Commerce Park in January. The building is expected to be completed next December, with a projected February 1, 2023, move-in date.
The state’s budget includes $1.4 million in funding to begin the project. FDLE secured a 25-year private lease agreement for a nearly 78,000 square-foot facility, enabling PROC to accommodate current and future workloads.
FDLE has been working toward a new building since 2004, after Hurricane Ivan struck the Pensacola area, causing significant damage to PROC’s building. FDLE moved into the current Pensacola facility, a converted school with limited space, in 1994.
