Huntsville city leaders Friday broke ground on a new $9.6 million crime scene investigation center for police.

It is scheduled for completion next summer and will be situated at 616 Wheeler Ave., near Huntsville police headquarters.

The 14,000-square-foot facility will have labs, office space, evidence processing areas and vehicle processing bays, and house the department’s Criminal Investigation Division. It will also have a separate, climate-controlled 13,500-square-foot building for vehicle and evidence storage.

City officials say the facility will allow investigators to process evidence faster, work multiple cases simultaneously and ensure evidence integrity.

“Our commitment to public safety is unwavering, and this facility is a testament to our ongoing dedication to provide our residents with the highest standard of protection and security,” Mayor Tommy Battle said. “Together, we are building a safer, stronger Huntsville.”

Ricky Wilkinson, the city’s director of general services, says this facility will be the first city-owned project constructed using the tilt-up concrete construction method, where concrete wall panels are cast on-site and tilted into position, or stood up, to be used as the building’s exterior walls.

“The benefits to this construction method include durability, sustainability and design flexibility,” Wilkinson said.