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Audio articles on Wilson County News made possible by C Street Gift Shop in downtown Floresville!
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The Floresville Police Department (left) will get a new home, following the purchase April 28 of a workshop (right) and home on C Street that belonged to the late Harry Grove. NANNETTE KILBEY-SMITH/Wilson County News
The Floresville Police Department is getting a new station.
The city of Floresville closed April 28 on a property at 914 C St., adjacent to the current police station, at a total cost, including fees, of $141,379.77, according to City Manager Andy Joslin.
Funds for the purchase and new police department building are part of $14.2 million in certificates of obligation approved by the Floresville City Council last November. A total of $3 million was earmarked for the police department (see “Police, pool, water — city priorities for next three years,” March 14 Wilson County News).
The property is the former home of the late Harry Grove, who served as Floresville Main Street program administrator from 2001-05. Grove passed away in March 2022, after a battle with cancer.
The city knew the police department needed to remain in the heart of the city, Joslin said, and heard Grove’s property might be available.
The city of Floresville closes April 28 on the purchase of a property on C Street, to build a new police station. Attending the transaction are (clockwise from left) Floresville Finance Director Cynthia Sturm, City Attorney Sylvia Rodriguez, Assistant City Manager Monica Veliz, City Manager Andy Joslin, and Rhoads Doak, son of the late Harry Grove, on behalf of Grove’s estate. COURTESY/City of Floresville.
“We spoke to Harry’s son,” Joslin told the Wilson County News May 1. “He knew how his dad felt about the city.”
The Floresville City Council approved the purchase March 9.
The new station is necessary, Joslin said, for a number of reasons.
“With the current number of officers, the current building is at maximum capacity,” the city manager said. “And we added two new officers already this year.”
Parking at the police department is a challenge, given the number of police and personal vehicles.
And Joslin, a former peace officer, would like to see the Floresville Police Department obtain accreditation through the Texas Association of Police Chiefs.
“To do so, we need to be sure we meet requirements for storing and securing evidence,” Joslin said, adding that there are other criteria to meet, as well.
The next step toward getting a new station built is to meet with architects to work on concepts for the new facility.
Joslin and police Chief Lorenzo Herrera recently visited Pleasanton, where a new police station is in the works, to get some ideas before sitting down with architects this week.
