The Montgomery County Council approved a plan May 17 to build a new police station in downtown Bethesda.

The new police station, to be located at the corner of Cordell and Wisconsin, will replace the police station at the corner of Wisconsin and Montgomery Avenues. The county decided against renovating the old station because its heating and ventilation systems are falling apart, councilman Philip Andrews said.

“The station is 50 years old and needs replacement soon,” he said. “Rather than patching up the old building, the county believes it’s more cost effective to build an entirely new station in a different location.”

Real estate developer JBG will build the station within the next five years. The county will save at least $3 million by building the new station in conjunction with JBG, Andrews said. To ensure the new station is built within the five year time frame, the county has allotted $600,000 to hire a manager to oversee JBG’s construction. Under the agreement, JBG isn’t allowed to begin construction on the housing complex planned for the old station’s land until the new station is opened.

The new property is surrounded by local eateries and restaurants, but disruptions to the community during construction will be kept at a minimum, said Holly Hull, JBG’s project manager for the new station.

“We’ve been working for a long time on this deal,” she said. “It’s really a win-win for the county and JBG.”