St. Charles approves furniture, storage for new police station
As the new St. Charles police station takes shape, city officials are making their way through a checklist of final purchases for the $24.6 million project.
By late last year, the city council had approved six construction bid packages for the facility at 1515 W. Main St. On Monday, aldermen signed off on two more big-ticket contracts that officials say point to the police station's progress.
The first deal, costing $312,240, is for locker and storage systems to hold evidence, weapons and equipment. The second, which has a price tag of $582,342, is for the purchase and installation of the police station's furniture and finishes.
Examples of the office chairs, desks, conference room tables and other furnishings were presented Monday by representatives from FGM Architects. The firm has been working with a police department committee to develop the interior design elements, which Alderman Rita Payleitner praised as "sharp-looking and utilitarian" - and about $170,000 under budget.
The only remaining items to be purchased include fitness equipment and a 3-D virtual training simulator, Chief James Keegan said. "Other than that, we're just looking forward to the completion of the building," he said.
The 56,000-square-foot police station is on track to be finished by September, after which officers can begin relocating from the existing downtown facility to their new headquarters at the former Valley Shopping Center, Public Works Director Peter Suhr said during a committee meeting last week.
The building's shell is almost completely enclosed and weather-tight, Keegan said, noting contractors have been working through the recent inclement weather to stay on schedule.
"The entire building envelope is really starting to take shape," he said. "Pretty soon, you're really going to get a sense of what it'll look like for generations to come."
As construction progresses, city officials say they have a clearer image of the project's financial projections - and they're encouraged by what they're seeing.
During the schematic design phase last spring, costs were anticipated to come in about $2.3 million over the initial estimate of $24.6 million. Though some contingencies and other expenses have yet to be finalized, Keegan said, the project now is trending nearly $700,000 under budget, thanks to a strong construction season, some lower-than-expected bids and project leaders' efforts to minimize costs.
Plans for the new police station have been in the works since the department participated in a needs assessment four years ago. The facility is designed to include more public space, a wellness center, a community room, secure offices and a squad car garage with a drive-in bay.