CAIRO — Work on the Cairo Police Department’s new $3.7 million headquarters is nearing completion, city officials say.

All that remains to be completed of the police department’s future home is what City Manager Chris Addleton calls “little things” — hanging doors on empty hinges, some landscaping upgrades and the installation of indestructible epoxy floors.

The 3rd Avenue NW structure is expected to be completed toward the end of July, and the police department is hoping to move into their new home sometime in early August. An open house and grand opening ceremony may take place sometime in September, depending on the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic in the area.

At nearly 12,000 square feet, the new structure is roughly twice the size of the police department’s current headquarters on Broad Street. That building, a former train depot that was converted to suit the police department’s needs in the 1970s, was never truly meant to be a police station, Addleton said.

The new headquarters features a spacious front entrance with two windows for greeting guests. The building will have five private offices for investigators and another for Police Chief Giovannie Santos.

One major upgrade will be the addition of a new sally port that will allow suspects to be securely booked into custody. After being processed, the new headquarters also has two holding cells for securing prisoners prior to being transferred to the Grady County Jail.

Addleton said the police department has never had a secure method of booking suspects. The current police headquarters does not currently have holding cells, and suspects are typically delivered to the jail. The new holding cells will allow the department the flexibility to hold suspects longer prior to transferring custody to the county.

A special observation lounge with one-way mirrors will be flanked by two interview rooms for recording statements. The structure also features two evidence rooms — one which is indoors and will be lined with lockers, and the other a garage-type “large evidence” room for bulkier items such as bicycles or scooters.

For the officers, the headquarters will have separate men’s and women’s locker rooms complete with showers and changing stations. Officers also will have access to a training room with a drop down screen, projector and desks.

Work on the project began last year when crews broke ground over the summer. City officials have long been eyeing upgrades to the police department’s headquarters, and Addleton estimates he’s been working on the project for “at least” five years.

Funds for the project were derived from the city’s general budget, Addleton said. The project is expected to meet budget.