The city of Mobile is looking to build a brand-new public safety training complex for firefighters and police officers, replacing the aging facilities it currently uses to train people who work in public safety.

“I foresee this opportunity for the city to build this facility, and what we can provide for the city as a whole,” said the city’s executive director of public safety Lawrence Battiste. “We do so much for the region, we are the ‘beacon on a hill’ for public safety in the region.”

On Tuesday, the Mobile City Council will vote on whether to approve a roughly $997,000 contract with Goodwyn Mills Cawood, an architecture firm, for the design of a “state-of-the-art joint training facility that combines resources from Mobile’s Police, Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services Departments,” according to the contract. The site is set to be roughly eight to ten acres and the facility is supposed to be roughly 21,126 square feet. The cost of building the training site is supposed to be roughly $13.5 million.

Where the training facility will be has not been determined. It’s also not clear when the facility would be completed. Battiste said once the design is completed (12 weeks from when the contract is authorized), the search for a location will begin in earnest. According to the contract, construction on the facility must be completed within 15 months of breaking ground.

Battiste says that the facility is a more efficient way to train police officers and firefighters, who will share the facility equally. While each group has its own training, there are several elements that overlap, he says, and having the two combine forces will help streamline training.