Among other issues, the needs assessment highlighted issues with the city's current Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which would be addressed by building a new facility. An EOC is a central location from which public safety and support agencies coordinate emergency response and recovery and is a critical component of managing public safety and security during a major incident. The current police facility does not have space for a dedicated EOC. Instead, emergency operations are run through the squad room which lacks adequate space needed for an efficient EOC and is not properly reinforced in the event of a natural disaster.

With just over 11,000 square feet in the new Justice Center, approximately 2,500 square feet of the facility (highlighted in yellow below) will be shared by the city for municipal court, police training, council meetings, emergency operations, and a much-needed public access storm shelter. The shelter design will be FEMA-approved, shelter approximately 350 people, and can serve as a tornado shelter, warming center, cooling center, etc.