Plans to build a new police headquarters in Gwinnett County have been put on hold due to concerns over tariffs affecting construction costs.
County leaders decided to pause the $75 million project to avoid overpaying for construction materials, which have become more expensive due to tariffs.
“We were concerned, very concerned about that,” Ron Adderley, Gwinnett County director of support services, told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson regarding the potential impact of tariffs on the project.
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The current police headquarters in Gwinnett County has been in use for nearly 50 years, and officials believe a new facility is necessary to accommodate the growing population.
The current Gwinnett County police headquarters was built in 1977, when the county had half its current population.
Tariffs have increased the cost of imported steel, lumber and other construction materials, leading to financial and legal concerns.
“We took a look at that contract and said that the county might not be adequately protected for any uncertainty such as tariffs and inflation,” Adderly said.
Tucker Balch, a finance professor at Emory University, noted that the uncertainty surrounding tariffs is affecting many corporations, not just those in Gwinnett County.
“It is kind of freezing action for a lot of corporations in America, not just Gwinnett, but everywhere,” Balch said.
The project would replace a headquarters built in 1977, when Gwinnett had half its current population.
The county decided to restructure its contract to protect taxpayers from the potential financial impact of tariff increases.
“They can always sell bonds to fill the gap, but I think they’re waiting a bit to know, well, how large will those bonds have to be? Maybe we should reduce the expected cost of our police station, and so on,” Balch said.
A federal appeals court recently ruled that most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs are illegal, but no action can be taken until October. Court scholars expect this to eventually appear in front of the U.S. Supreme Court by this fall, which could provide more clarity.
Gwinnett County officials hope to move forward with the police headquarters project once the tariff uncertainty is resolved, aiming to proceed before the end of the year.
“We’re going to deliver the project that’s promised,” Adderly said.
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