Oak Harbor Buys Former Gun Range, Creates Regional Training Center

Oak Harbor officials finalized the acquisition of a 13,000 square foot building and an adjacent vacant lot on November 25, securing a property that will be converted into a regional law enforcement training center. Council approval came with no public objections among council members at the meeting, reflecting broad municipal support for the project to address training and facility shortfalls.

About one third of the existing building will be converted into an indoor shooting range. The remaining space is planned for classrooms, training areas, offices, a virtual reality room, an armory and a vault for secure firearm storage, and locker rooms. City leaders described the configuration as intended to support firearms qualifications as well as expanded training in defensive tactics, de escalation and scenario based exercises.

Oak Harbor Police Chief Tony Slowik said the facility is meant to serve Oak Harbor and regional partners including Island, Skagit and Whatcom counties, the Navy and potentially State Parks. Officials expect the center to enable joint trainings with fire departments and other first responders, and to standardize training across agencies that currently must rely on aging or limited facilities.

The city reported the purchase was a favorable deal, noting the property had been listed previously at a higher price. Funding for the acquisition comes from a combination of a state grant, opioid settlement funds, anticipated accreditation reimbursement, savings tied to police staffing and general fund dollars. Officials framed the funding mix as leveraging available resources to avoid a larger capital outlay for new construction.

City leaders also view the adjacent vacant lot as a potential future site for a new police department building, addressing persistent infrastructure concerns including an aging headquarters, constrained training space and an outdated jail. For Island County residents the project promises more local access to law enforcement training, potential operational efficiencies through shared regional use, and a redevelopment of an existing commercial property into public safety infrastructure. The city has signaled next steps will include design work and coordination with partner agencies on scheduling and facility use.