N. Aurora wants to trim police station costs

North Aurora officials are starting to tackle the overall appearance and internal details of the village's new police facility to be built on the northeast corner of Route 31 and Airport Road.

Because the design is still subject to change, an accurate cost estimate is not available, officials said.

The Police Facilities Committee on Monday discussed how the building will look from the street as well as the costs of each design proposal. In August, the village set a $13.9 million budget for the facility.

Committee members discussed locations of holding cells, utility and conference rooms and how evidence and people will move throughout the building. Trustee Mike Herlihy said the project could cut operating costs by keeping the mechanical systems of the facility inside.

The committee saw six designs for the building generated by Wold Architects and Engineers, including several with gabled roofs that would allow the building's mechanical plant to be inside but would also increase the cost.

The committee also saw a plan with a boxlike profile, which Police Chief Tom Fetzer said seemed like the direction to go as plans are finalized.

"The process has been about minimizing costs," Fetzer said. "I don't want to see something more expensive when we don't need it."

Jim McClaren, consulting architect for the village, said an inviting profile is necessary in a public building, but the effect can be reached without inflating the cost.

"People have got to be able to read from the street where to go. Police stations are like emergency rooms for society. There can be no confusion."

Roger Schroepfer, partner at Wold, said the project is on budget and on schedule to be complete in the summer of 2010. Architects are looking for ways to cut the cost and bring the project in below budget, he said.