Demolition of Kmart to Commence in April to Make Way for Police Department’s New Home
Graphic via city of Redlands
A rendering of the planned Police Department at the former Kmart site.
By David James Heiss
Redlands News Collective
REDLANDS, Calif. — Originally, the city wanted to retrofit the former Kmart building at 1625 W. Redlands Blvd. after acquiring it in 2021. That would have been cost-prohibitive for what the Police Department needs to do, combining its current four locations into one, Chief Rachel Tolber told members of Redlands Round Table during its monthly meeting on March 3 at the Redlands Elks Lodge.
Instead, beginning next month, the city will begin razing the 109,750-square-foot site that sits on 8.8 acres, and grading should begin in late April to make way for a mission revival-style building that will initially add approximately 57,000 square feet of finished building, with 5,500 square feet of unfinished shell space to allow for growth. This adds 20,000 square feet to the current space that is currently spread out across the department’s four locations
The city bought the property in 2021 for $16.1 million shortly before Tolber became chief, after spending $16 million for the former Citibank building that is transitioning into a hub for the city’s municipal departments.
The current setup of the Police Department encompasses 37,580 square feet between the police annex at the corner of Cajon and Vine streets, where the administrative offices, Community Services Bureau, and Special Services Bureau are located; the Emergency Operations Center on Park Avenue, where the department’s Patrol Services Bureau operates along with the Communication Center and Records Unit; and the west substation at 1150 Brookside Ave., which houses reports. The department also utilizes property and evidence storage spaceat 35 Cajon St.
Tolber’s presentation included an overview of current department statistics, sorted from responses to more than 47,000 calls for service in 2025.
There was a decrease last year in robberies. (The difference between a robbery and a burglary is that robbery is a forcible action, and burglary is an illegal entry to commit property theft).
According to data Tolber shared, robberies were down last year by 13%; grand thefts of autos were down 18%; larceny thefts (the unlawful taking of property with intent to deprive the owner thereof) were down 4%; drugs and narcotics violations were down 44%, while drug equipment violations were down 49%; and weapons violations were down 44%.
Tolber reported that aggressive assaults inched upward 3%; counterfeit forgery climbed 50%.
Tolber talked about the benefits of implementing Axon software, which enables police to record, monitor, and translate voice to text. It also helps generate body camera footage into prepared police reports and incident data reporting uploaded to the National Incident-Based Reporting System, saving officers a lot of time.
She also mentioned the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to help de-escalate and assess situations, hovering over an incident scene and allowing operators to see and hear what’s going on from a safe distance.
Three “drones” will be stationed at certain points around the city that can be launched within minutes to help cover the city’s 36 square miles.
At its March 17, 2026 council meeting, the city discontinued a lease agreement approved back in June 2022 with Vista-based Avis Budget Car Rental, LLC, which previously had an agreement with the former property’s owner, 1625 W Redlands LLC, to park up to 30 rental vehicles at the edge of the former Kmart parking lot. The agreement was providing up to $18,000 annually in revenue for the city.
