Construction of Rosemont public safety building starting soon

Architects are putting the finishing touches on designs for Rosemont's new public safety department headquarters north of the Allstate Arena, now that the area has been cleared of a series of long-standing interconnected industrial buildings.

The final drawings will help officials arrive at a price for the planned one-story, 100,000-square-foot building, expected to be in the $35 million range, according to Mayor Brad Stephens.

At least a quarter of those costs will be related to NORCOMM Public Safety Communications' relocated dispatch center within the cop shop. The agency will pick up those costs - whether paying a certain amount up front, or as part of a long-term lease deal - for its 18,000 square feet of space, which requires special reinforced walls, Stephens said.

Village trustees approved a borrowing package to pay for the new building in the fall.

The headquarters also will include a shooting range, apparatus bays, and training space equipped with video technology for "shoot/don't shoot" scenarios.

"We're building this for tomorrow," the mayor said.

Rosemont has been prepping the site for redevelopment for years, buying up about 20 small warehouses and demolishing them. Crews knocked down the last two buildings last month after those business, Nicholas Machine & Tool and Kass Industries, moved out.

Construction is expected to start this spring, first with underground work and footings and foundations, and could take up to 18 months before the building opens.