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Why St. Charles police are excited about new state-of-the-art station

The St. Charles police station along the Fox River is a hodgepodge of buildings pieced together over time.

The layout lacks operational functionality, Deputy Chief Erik Mahan said, and it requires officers to navigate a maze of hallways that make up 40% of the facility's space.

The outdated structure is a far cry from the city's new 56,000-square-foot police headquarters, designed and built to prioritize workflow, community space and high-end equipment. So it's no surprise that officers are excited, Mahan says, as they prepare to move to the west side of town late next week.

"It's hopefully a lot more efficient for our officers," he said, "and we've got some great spaces for the public, too."

The state-of-the-art facility at 1515 W. Main St. is filled with design elements that blend the city's past and present. The walls are lined with symbolic murals and historic photos depicting various eras of officers, styles of squad cars and stages of St. Charles development.

  The St. Charles Police Department's mission statement is depicted in the main lobby of the new station at 1515 W. Main St. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

In the main lobby, visitors are welcomed with the department's mission statement hanging on the wall: "We protect and serve our community with respect and a commitment to excellence."

The building contains one main corridor on the first floor, another on the second floor and a strategic flow from one division to the next.

Patrol officers, for example, are stationed in an area with a roll call room, a space for writing reports, and easy access to equipment and weapon storage, Mahan said. Continue through an automatic door, and they'll find themselves in the squad car garage - a new feature for St. Charles police, who are used to scraping the snow and ice off their vehicles in the winter.

  A "bullpen" was constructed in the new St. Charles police station as a temporary holding cell for prisoners. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

An attached sally port allows officers to securely transport offenders from the squad car to the booking and detention area. Interview rooms are strategically placed throughout the building. Sections of the facility couple as a storm shelter, and a fitness center can be accessed by all city employees.

Various spaces were designed for some community use, including a training room off the main lobby and a second-floor conference room and social work area.

"We tried to do this efficiently and as economically as we could," Mahan said. "It kind of looks like glitz and glamour, but we really did some value engineering here."

  A garage attached to the new St. Charles police station will house the department's squad cars - an upgrade for officers, who are used to scraping off their vehicles in the winter, Deputy Chief Erik Mahan said. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

The project was completed ahead of schedule, and expenses are trending under the estimated $24.6 million budget, Mahan said, though the city is still working with Riley Construction and FGM Architects to finalize costs.

The police department is expected to move into its new headquarters Thursday through Saturday, with the facility becoming fully operational Sept. 16. Patrol officers likely will start reporting to the new station that weekend.

A public dedication ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 9.

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