Hernando County Eyes $100M Public Safety Training Hub

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — Hernando County commissioners are advancing plans for a sprawling 60-acre public safety training center, estimated to cost over $100 million, to replace outdated and scattered training sites for first responders. The land, donated by Cemex, will host Phase 1 features including a $12 million driving pad, burn tower and shooting range, with future expansions adding classrooms, a command simulation center, K-9 fields, rifle and pistol ranges, and a logistics warehouse.[1][4] An emergency operations center and 911 backup hub are deferred to later phases due to high costs, with the full buildout potentially spanning 10 to 40 years depending on funding.[1] The project's lifeline is a proposed five-year, half-cent sales tax referendum set for 2026, expected to generate $19 million annually or $95 million total if approved, with collections starting Jan. 1, 2027.[1] Sheriff Al Nienhuis outlined that proceeds could also fund $38.8 million for a mental health wing at the detention center, $25 million for a forensics lab and property warehouse, $15.5 million for vehicle replacements, $7.2 million for 294 stun gun and body camera bundles, and $3.7 million for a helicopter.[1] Commissioners have paused major spending to bolster voter support, stressing the tax would cover one-time capital costs only.[1] Located in rapidly growing Hernando County northwest of Tampa, the facility addresses urgent gaps in training for structure fires, active shooter scenarios and multi-agency responses, centralizing operations currently spread across inadequate venues.[1] County leaders frame the referendum as a pivotal choice for long-term infrastructure investment, with full realization tied to sustained revenue streams.[1]