Palatine getting new police station
Operating a modern-era police department out of the former Palatine High School cafeteria may have been possible in 1980 when the village's population hovered around 30,000.
The same can't be said nearly 30 years and 40,000 people later.
That's why Palatine officials were eager to approve a $1.49 million contract to hire Deerfield-based SRBL Architects Ltd. to design a new police station. The facility, expected to be finished by June 2011, will be at North Hicks Road and First Bank Drive. Preliminary plans call to increase space to 70,000 to 80,000 square feet - a jump from about 39,000 square feet the current facility has.
"This is a matter of public safety and we've been eager to move forward for a while," Village Manager Reid Ottesen said.
Ottesen cited SRBL's aptitude for police station design. The firm is behind facilities in Elk Grove Village, Streamwood, Glenview and Highland Park.
The project has been on hiatus because of pending litigation with Sears Holdings Corp., which sued the village over the condemnation of the Sears Essentials store there. Ottesen said a settlement agreement is before a judge. To show enough money could be raised for the land acquisition, officials Monday approved issuing $9.5 million in bonds.
Construction is expected to cost an additional $22 million to $23.6 million.
During his campaign, Mayor Jim Schwantz hesitated to back the project. He acknowledged the "archaic working conditions," but said he'd hold off for now given the economy. He also questioned the site, saying using a revenue-generating parcel should be avoided.
Monday, Schwantz said he's completely on board.
"I listened to the manager and the chief, and while we need to keep the tax rolls going, the ultimate objective has to be public safety," he said.
Meanwhile, the Hoffman Estates Police Department continues plans to move out of the former village hall and into a $32 million station in August 2010 at Spring Hill and Higgins roads. The station will include environmentally-friendly features such as photovoltaic panels to harness solar energy.
Village officials said the current station is too cramped for the 102-member force. Hoffman Estates trustees Monday approved a variety of expenses for the new station: $600,000 for the firing range, $256,000 for lockers and $200,000 for ceramic and porcelain tile.