First phase of new Aurora cop campus opens
Aurora's new police headquarters at 1200 E. Indian Trail is still about nine months from completion.
But the Training and Support building that will house evidence storage, a large shooting range and a 200,000-square-foot garage is ready to go.
City officials showed off the new facility Friday to about 300 municipal and police officials. The public is invited to tour the building today and Sunday to see where officers will be processing evidence, practicing their shooting and storing their SWAT vehicles.
Before addressing the audience gathered Friday morning in the new evidence and record storage area, police Chief Greg Thomas peered over toward several officers lined against the wall and gave them a thumbs up.
"Pretty sweet, huh?" he asked.
Later, Thomas led guests on a tour of the facility, stopping at each station to identify what state-of-the-art technology was where and how officers will be able use it in solving crimes as early as Monday.
"After touring it, I'm sure the community will agree that the entire facility is one of which the whole city can be proud," he said. "It's still a little hard to believe it's ours and we can finally use it. And then we look south and see the new headquarters is almost done, too, and it's just amazing."
The current police station at 350 N. River could fit in the new training center alone.
At each of the new stations, such as the evidence storage room and vehicle processing garage, photos show the current, cramped situation at the 50-year-old facility that soon will be knocked down as part of the city's RiverEdge Park plan.
The entire $75 million, three-facility campus, including the 156,000-square-foot main headquarters, which will house the detention facility, 911 center, Kane County branch court, records division and administration, is scheduled to be completed in January.
Besides being able to spread out, project manager Barbara Kattermann said officers will be working in a building that is designed to be energy efficient while using recycled and recyclable content.
Countertops that look like granite are made of recycled concrete and paper, all cast into a product that looks and wears like stone. The floors are made of recycled materials that require no chemicals to clean.
"Everything in this building is designed to be washed using only water," she said. "No chemicals or detergents will ever be needed here."
She also pointed out the solar panels that feed into the power grid and greenery that eventually will grow strategically to shade the building and keep cooling costs down.
Mayor Tom Weisner said he was pleased to be finally standing in the part of the facility he and aldermen first began discussing more than three years ago.
"Our police have been working hard for us to reduce our crime rate to record lows, so we're happy to provide them with the latest technology and tools they need to continue fighting crime as we move forward," Weisner said. "Everything in this building will aid them in their partnerships with state and federal agencies."
The public is invited to tour the training facility from 10 a.m. to noon today and 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.