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Arlington Hts. to pursue new police station on current site

The old Arlington Heights police station can be torn down, and an updated, functional station can be built in its place, officials learned Tuesday night.

Arlington Heights trustees got their first look at a possible new police station Tuesday night and said they were happy with study results that show a new station can be built on the existing municipal campus.

“The short answer to that question is ‘yes,'” said Ray Lee, principal with FGM Architects, which was commissioned to do a space needs study and help the village prepare for the police station process.

FGM recommended a 24,000-square foot two-story building with a basement and a 12,500 square-foot garage, said Louise Kowalczyk of FGM. The building would include evidence storage, a firing range, fitness center, locker rooms and training facilities in the basement, lock up cells, room for patrol, investigations, records and evidence on the first floor, and administration, a multipurpose room, traffic officers and community service officers on the second floor.

Police Chief Gerald Mourning said he was originally very skeptical that a new facility, meeting the needs of the department, could fit on the existing site.

“We got creative and were able to actually put the pieces together in a way that makes the facility extremely functional,” Mourning said. “I'm content at this point.”

Trustees said they were happy that the site could be recycled, both to keep a consistent municipal campus with the village hall and fire department nearby but also to avoid the costs of purchasing additional land elsewhere in the village.

The current Arlington Heights police station was built in the 1970s. Officials have said it is long past its useful life and costly to maintain. A study done about five years ago indicated a new station could cost $40 million, a number that riled village trustees and the community. During more recent discussions, trustees have said the price will need to be much less than that original estimate.

The architects on Tuesday recommended a space that is nearly 4,000 square feet smaller than what was proposed in the earlier study.

Officials said it is too early in the process to discuss costs for a new police station, tear down and finding an alternative site for the department during construction.

“I like what I see so far,” said Mayor Tom Hayes. “We still have a long way to go.”

Another police station study

Arlington Hts. to get first look at possible new police station Tuesday

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