It’s a tour you may not want to miss, especially if you are skeptical of the need for the city to break ground this summer on the new $92 million police headquarters in South Main Street.

The tour on Tuesday, April 21, is part of an “open house” presentation at 4:30 p.m., in the Civic Center council chambers unveiling the design of the new police station.

Various displays will show off components of the project while police will share how they are used in the overall effort to make sure the department can effectively serve and protect the community.

But perhaps the most jarring opportunity that next Tuesday’s open house offers is the ability to see what it is replacing — the existing police station.

Police officers will escort groups through the facility where storerooms and closets decades ago had to be converted to office space, open air corridors between offices pose security risks, and a lobby that is just a bit bigger than the size of the old Foromat drive-up film drop-off kiosks that were popular in shopping center parking lots in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Those on the tour will see the lack of space has made it next to impossible for local law enforcement to employ some cutting edge technology such as a real time crime center that will be part of the new building.

Other design deficiencies also pose security risks to staffs.

The 20,000 or so square feet includes portable office space. The “brick and mortar” portion — except for the newer evidence building — was built in the late 1970s.

It has infrastructure issues that continue to multiply that just this week led to the failure of the heating and cooling system.

The new replacement will have roughly 50,000 square feet. Unlike the current station, it will be designed to accommodate future parking.

It also will include an enclosed sally port for secure prisoner/suspect transfers that other area departments lack.

Access to the station will align with Wawona Street and South Main Street where the city will be installing traffic signals.

The police station will be on the southern portion of an 8 acre site along South Main. The northern portion could accommodate a future library or some other civic facility.

The project is being made possible with growth fees wedded with Measure Q sales tax revenue.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com