An architectural rendering depicts plans for a new Augusta Police Department building off Willow Street. There will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the project Thursday at 10 a.m. Rendering courtesy of Port City Architecture

AUGUSTA — City officials plan to break ground on construction of a long-awaited new police station Thursday.

A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. Thursday at the site where the new station will be built, 7 Willow St., the vacant former location of a Hannaford supermarket.

The old building will be demolished to make way for a roughly $20.4 million, two-story, 25,000-square-foot new facility complete with solar panels on its roof feeding electricity into the grid, secure parking for police, two elevators, an evidence lab, interview rooms, a dispatch center, a drive-through sally port to bring people in custody into the building, a fitness area for employees, and a large, open public lobby.

Voters approved borrowing $20.5 million to build the new station in June of 2021.

The new station will replace the city’s current station on Union Street, a former Naval Reserve building built in 1949 which officials said has a number of problems including a leaky roof, not meeting building code standards for a critical public safety building, lead contamination in pipes, bathrooms and locker rooms with rotted flooring, and inadequate heat.

The building was designed by Port City Architecture and its construction will be overseen by Landry French Construction.

Members of the public planning to attend the groundbreaking are asked by officials to park in the parking lot at Augusta City Center, which is across Cony Street from the new police station site.