Pretty impressive.

That's one way to describe the new state-of-the-art Pinellas County Sheriff's Administration Building and Public Safety Complex at 10750 Ulmerton Road in Largo.

“It’s a big place, you can get lost in it, said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of the more than 200,000-square-foot complex.

Gualtieri said the badly-needed move was eight years in the making.

“We went from a 1950’s, antiquated old building that didn’t meet our needs in any way, shape or form to a state-of-the art facility that is meeting all of our needs- with room to grow,” he said.

Thursday, county commissioners and other government leaders along with the media were taken floor by floor to get an up-close look at the facility, which now consolidates county services under one roof.

One of the main highlights included the consolidated regional 9-1-1 center, which got up and running last week without a hitch.

“It’s the most successful thing that has come from this,” said Gualtieri of the new center, which processes 9-1-1 calls for fire, EMS and the sheriff’s office. "People can now pick up the phone today in Pinellas County and when they need police, fire, EMS they can request that from one person as opposed to having their call transferred potentially several times.”

Another highlight: the new Emergency Operations Center. It will be staffed during a hurricane or other major emergency.

“This is going to be the ground zero, if you will, of those operations,” said Gualtieri.

The EOC has adjacent break-out rooms with teleconferencing equipment for coordination with state and federal officials; a GIS/planning room; a designated media room with workstations; and a radio room.

For the deputies, the $81.4 million building, offers new offices, work spaces, fully-equipped gym, training rooms, classrooms, more parking, and an onsite maintenance garage.

The building, which is located in a non-evacuation zone, is designed for an emergency capacity of approximately 700 people and is designed to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds (up to 203 mph).

“If everything gets wiped out, this place is still standing,” said the Sheriff.