The rising costs of designing and constructing public safety facilities have become a significant challenge, often drawing public scrutiny, and stretching departmental budgets and funding viability. This presentation will offer systematic strategies to manage and reduce expenses effectively upfront. Key approaches include data-driven decision-making, identifying cost drivers, fostering collaborative relationships with stakeholders, and exploring ways to get your project built. Emphasis is on long-term planning, flexible designs to accommodate future needs, designs to support operations based on how facilities are really being used, and ensuring decisions made today won’t lead to costly future burdens.