Glen Ellyn moves forward with police station plan

Glen Ellyn officials say they're moving forward with plans to build a police station that will provide much-needed space and cost no more than $12 million.

The new station will be adjacent Panfish Park, Village Manager Mark Franz said, but will not require park land.

He said the village will issue bonds for the project and pay them off with money from its capital budget. The project will not require a tax increase, he said. All police resources currently housed in the Glen Ellyn Civic Center will shift to the new facility.

"It's time for a modern building to help facilitate a modern police department," Franz said.

The downtown civic center currently houses the police department as well as several village administrative offices. Franz said the center is an "antiquated" building that presents several challenges for the village's police department, including limitations on processing prisoners, issues with evidence storage and a lack of training space.

Deputy Chief Bill Holmer said the biggest issue is lack of space.

"We have safety issues, parking issues, the list goes on," Holmer said. "But this building was constructed as a school many, many, many years ago. It was never made to be a police department."

The project, which is still in the planning stages, would involve demolishing three village-owned homes near Panfish Park. Although there has not been a final vote on the project, Franz said "all systems are go" and "there is a commitment to move forward."

"The next steps would be putting a schedule together, deciding on a delivery method of that project from a construction standpoint, funding options, that kind of thing," he said.

Other space options also have been discussed and dismissed, including building a combination village hall/police department and constructing a public safety building for both fire and police officials.

"The (village) board is comfortable that we've addressed all alternatives and we think this is just the right time and the right place for a new police station," Franz said.