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Even though the San Diego Police Department was formed in 1889, they didn’t get their first police exclusive, dedicated headquarters until a half century later.

The first officers shared a building with the Fire Department but as the city grew they found themselves getting moved first to City Hall and then to a short series of ramshackle buildings that would today be condemned.

So it was with great fanfare in the mid 1930's when a project was announced to build a new, almost 100,000 square foot, state of the art police complex in a (then) remote southwest corner of Downtown San Diego. Later given the street address of 801 West Market Street, the facility looked and functioned like no other police facility ever built.

Incorporating the then unheard of idea to bring all police operations to one centralized location, the building was designed with a 274 bed jail, five courtrooms, an emergency hospital, an indoor shooting range, a law library and a large 17,000 square foot automotive maintenance garage. With architecture reflective of nearby balboa park the building was a blend of Spanish Colonial architecture capped off with a 68 foot watch tower and palm trees surrounding a fountain in the center courtyard.

Designed by local architects Edward and Charles Quayle along with Alberto Treganza, the building more resembled an old Spanish fortress than a police facility. There were several reasons for choosing the architectural style. The first was that it fit into the Spanish heritage of San Diego, examples of which can still be found in Balboa Park. Secondly, residents of Coronado, who had a view across the bay, made it clear they did not want to look at an ugly police station.

When the $390,000 cost of the project was made public, there was a backlash from some citizens groups and even from the citys highest office. Despite having served the chief of the San Diego Police Department in 1931, Mayor Percy Benbough questioned why the police would ever need such an elaborate and expensive facility. Despite the uproar, supporters of the project, as well as a majority of the city council, far outweighed the critics. These supporters recognized the project would provide not only a long lasting civic icon, but also much needed jobs to the San Diego region.

Groundbreaking on the monumental project began on August 3, 1938. More than 100 officers attended to watch pile drivers smash wooden pylons into the ground to support the stations weight. The pylons were necessary as the station was being built only seven feet above the water table.

As construction of the station neared completion, Chief George Sears boldly predicted it would serve the needs of San Diego for the next fifty years. What he could not predict though was the explosive growth the city experienced during and after World War II when the population more than doubled.

By the mid 1950’s the department had already outgrown 801 West Market Street. Several modifications were done to the building to allow for more space, but a new headquarters was still needed. By the 1970’s the department began planning for a new, modern headquarters.

In January 1987 San Diego Police Department finally achieved its goal of a replacement for the fortress on Market St. Built at a cost of $43,000,000, the new station and its parking lot occupied the entire city block of 14th and Broadway Street. Upon first glance, many officers commented the building lacked the character of the old station and looked more like a sterile office building than what they had come to know as a police station.

With a new police headquarters in place, 801 West Market Street was closed and the flag in front of the building was lowered for the last time. Other than the large garage used for a horse drawn carriage company, the building sat abandoned and was the subject of numerous plans for re-use.

In the meantime the buildings ownership was quietly transferred from the city to the San Diego Unified Port District as part of a 1963 covenant that created the Port. It was almost a deathblow to the building given that the Port had been arguing as far back as 1975 for the “need” to tear it down once the police abandoned the site.

In the late 1990’s the Port District almost succeed when they voted for the building to be demolished to make way for additional parking and an expansion of Seaport Village, a neighboring shopping mall. The decision lead to lawsuits and a multi year fight to stop the wrecking ball.

In 1998 the National Register of Historic Places recognized the station for its civic contributions. While most applications to the register are rejected, the building qualified in three categories. The prestigious listing made the Old Police Headquarters only the twenty fifth police facility in the United States, and only the second in the State of California, to ever be recognized as a national landmark.

Copyright © 2005. Web sponorship provided by Professional Cyber Crime Investigations, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without the expressed written permission of Professional Cyber Crime Investigations Inc. is prohibited. Click on logo for additional infomation.

Exterior Pictures	Interior Pictures
Even though the San Diego Police Department was formed in 1889, they didn’t get their first police exclusive, dedicated headquarters until a half century later. The first officers shared a building with the Fire Department but as the city grew they found themselves getting moved first to City Hall and then to a short series of ramshackle buildings that would today be condemned. So it was with great fanfare in the mid 1930's when a project was announced to build a new, almost 100,000 square foot, state of the art police complex in a (then) remote southwest corner of Downtown San Diego. Later given the street address of 801 West Market Street, the facility looked and functioned like no other police facility ever built. Incorporating the then unheard of idea to bring all police operations to one centralized location, the building was designed with a 274 bed jail, five courtrooms, an emergency hospital, an indoor shooting range, a law library and a large 17,000 square foot automotive maintenance garage. With architecture reflective of nearby balboa park the building was a blend of Spanish Colonial architecture capped off with a 68 foot watch tower and palm trees surrounding a fountain in the center courtyard. Designed by local architects Edward and Charles Quayle along with Alberto Treganza, the building more resembled an old Spanish fortress than a police facility. There were several reasons for choosing the architectural style. The first was that it fit into the Spanish heritage of San Diego, examples of which can still be found in Balboa Park. Secondly, residents of Coronado, who had a view across the bay, made it clear they did not want to look at an ugly police station. When the $390,000 cost of the project was made public, there was a backlash from some citizens groups and even from the citys highest office. Despite having served the chief of the San Diego Police Department in 1931, Mayor Percy Benbough questioned why the police would ever need such an elaborate and expensive facility. Despite the uproar, supporters of the project, as well as a majority of the city council, far outweighed the critics. These supporters recognized the project would provide not only a long lasting civic icon, but also much needed jobs to the San Diego region. Groundbreaking on the monumental project began on August 3, 1938. More than 100 officers attended to watch pile drivers smash wooden pylons into the ground to support the stations weight. The pylons were necessary as the station was being built only seven feet above the water table. As construction of the station neared completion, Chief George Sears boldly predicted it would serve the needs of San Diego for the next fifty years. What he could not predict though was the explosive growth the city experienced during and after World War II when the population more than doubled. By the mid 1950’s the department had already outgrown 801 West Market Street. Several modifications were done to the building to allow for more space, but a new headquarters was still needed. By the 1970’s the department began planning for a new, modern headquarters. In January 1987 San Diego Police Department finally achieved its goal of a replacement for the fortress on Market St. Built at a cost of $43,000,000, the new station and its parking lot occupied the entire city block of 14th and Broadway Street. Upon first glance, many officers commented the building lacked the character of the old station and looked more like a sterile office building than what they had come to know as a police station. With a new police headquarters in place, 801 West Market Street was closed and the flag in front of the building was lowered for the last time. Other than the large garage used for a horse drawn carriage company, the building sat abandoned and was the subject of numerous plans for re-use. In the meantime the buildings ownership was quietly transferred from the city to the San Diego Unified Port District as part of a 1963 covenant that created the Port. It was almost a deathblow to the building given that the Port had been arguing as far back as 1975 for the “need” to tear it down once the police abandoned the site. In the late 1990’s the Port District almost succeed when they voted for the building to be demolished to make way for additional parking and an expansion of Seaport Village, a neighboring shopping mall. The decision lead to lawsuits and a multi year fight to stop the wrecking ball. In 1998 the National Register of Historic Places recognized the station for its civic contributions. While most applications to the register are rejected, the building qualified in three categories. The prestigious listing made the Old Police Headquarters only the twenty fifth police facility in the United States, and only the second in the State of California, to ever be recognized as a national landmark.
Copyright © 2005. Web sponorship provided by Professional Cyber Crime Investigations, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without the expressed written permission of Professional Cyber Crime Investigations Inc. is prohibited. Click on logo for additional infomation.