Dallas Breaks Ground on $227 Million Police Training Campus

A new law enforcement training center will combine Dallas Police Department academy training and University of North Texas at Dallas criminal justice education. | Photo Credit: HKS Architects

• The $227 million, 20-acre development on the University of North Texas at Dallas campus broke ground Sept. 3 and is expected to open in 2028.   
• HKS Architects and KAI Enterprises designed the 257,923-square-foot campus with mass-timber classrooms, wellness features and targets for LEED Gold certification and net-zero readiness.   
• University instruction will complement police training; additional fundraising and a November bond election are expected to address a funding gap.   

DALLAS — Officials in Dallas broke ground Sept. 3 on a new $227 million police training campus designed to combine officer instruction with university criminal justice education. The Law Enforcement Training Center will occupy 20 acres at the University of North Texas at Dallas and is expected to open in 2028.  

HKS Architects designed the 257,923-square-foot campus in partnership with KAI Enterprises, incorporating input from city officials, the Dallas Police Department and South Dallas community members. Swinerton Builders will serve as the construction manager at-risk on the project.

The new facility will combine basic academy and in-service instruction with reality-based and de-escalation training and university criminal justice education. UNT Dallas said the development also includes computer labs, indoor and outdoor physical training areas, and space for events and community use.   

UNT Dallas faculty will teach recruits, and officers completing the department’s 10-month academy can earn up to 42 credit hours toward a bachelor’s degree. 

“For too long, police training and higher education have run on separate tracks — one preparing officers for the job, the other preparing them for a degree,” said UNT Dallas President Warren von Eschenbach. “This facility brings those tracks together. It’s a unique and innovative model that we believe the rest of the country will be watching, and one we hope others will follow.” 

According to HKS, classrooms throughout the campus will feature mass timber and daylight. Outdoor green spaces will provide places for trainees to decompress between intensive sessions, while enhanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are intended to improve indoor air quality. HKS added that the project targets LEED Gold certification and net-zero readiness. 

The center will replace a rented warehouse used for training since 1990, according to UNT Dallas. Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux described the department’s existing training facilities as outdated and in poor condition, according to reporting from WFAA. 

“This training center represents the future of policing in Dallas,” Comeaux told Correctional News. “We are creating an environment that prepares officers not only for the realities they will face on the street, but also for the responsibility that comes with serving this community. Through modern, scenario-based training and our partnership with the University of North Texas at Dallas, we have an opportunity to combine practical law enforcement training with education, critical thinking, and leadership development.” 

Comeaux also said the campus could strengthen police-community relationships. 

“Our goal is to develop well-rounded officers who exercise sound judgment, understand the communities they serve and are prepared to lead,” said Comeaux. “We are not simply building a new facility, we are investing in our people, strengthening public trust and setting a new standard for law enforcement training in Dallas and across the country.” 

Funding includes voter-approved 2024 bonds, state support and private contributions. UNT Dallas said additional fundraising and a November bond election are expected to address the remaining funding gap.  

This article is based on reporting from WFAA; project information from UNT Dallas published Sept. 3, 2026; and HKS Architects’ Sept. 3 Facebook post; with additional reporting from Correctional News.