St. Charles police station called too small, antiquated

The St. Charles police station should be more than 50 percent larger and come into compliance with modern standards for keeping evidence and holding prisoners, according to a report issued Monday night.

Aldermen already knew the police station campus, an amalgamation of seven structures, needs more than $1 million of exterior repairs. On Monday, they learned the interior conditions also seem to be pointing to a major rebuild or relocation of the station.

Ray Lee, of Oak Brook-based FGM Architects, presented photos showing computer cables dangling from ceilings, officers working in the kitchenette because they've run out of space, and toilets in jail cells that are so old it's hard to find parts to repair them.

The foundation of the police station has settled so much in parts that it sinks as much as 5 inches in some places. Some of that may be because the campus sits in the middle of a floodplain and less than 50 feet away from the Fox River. Numerous building renovations have also caused a disjointed heated, cooling and ventilation system.

“One of the questions to ask is, ‘Should we be looking to keep this campus here,'” Lee told aldermen. “Is it better to fix it or keep a part of it and rebuild? Or do we want to free up that entire area?”

Freeing up the property now would time well with ongoing efforts to transform the riverfront into a major attraction for the city.

However, Lee said, relocating the police station means finding somewhere new to put it.

Considerations on that front include the possible value of putting the station in an area of the city with more crime or low police response times, Lee said.

“We can dream a little with this, see what we think is best for the city of St. Charles,” Lee said.

Aldermen will now decide what questions they want architects to answer moving forward as they build toward a plan for the future of policing in the city and how to pay for it.

A final report is due in the fall.