First Glimpse Of The New Police Station Design
Jun 5, 2009 16:03 - 4 Comments
>
Burt Hall
Last night, June 4, 2009, Burt Hall, who is serving as the Project Manager, presented the plans for the new City Police Station, officially referred to as the Design for the Rehabilitation and Adaptive Resue of the Former U.S. Post Office. Surprisingly, only eight people attended.
At an identifiable and central location, the City has wanted to purchase the Old Post office for years. The City obtained the property for $1 contingent on the building being used for public safety and Homeland Security. The City has received a State Bond for $100,000 and is waiting to hear about a Federal Grant of $2.5 million in order to go forward with the project.
Police Chief Terry Treschuk began by describing the need for a new police headquarters. Originally built in the basement of City Hall for about 30 employees, the current location cannot handle the current staff of 57 police officers and 38 civilian personnel. They’ve broken through a concrete wall into the detaining cells to make an office for the investigators but there’s no additional space. The City also rents offices at two locations on Courthouse Square for the police and other departments. The $300,000 spent each year on this rental space will help pay the debt service when these offices move to the new police station and the space then made available in City Hall. Parking for the new facility will be leased from a neighboring property (77 South Washington Street) and police cars will no longer be parked at City Hall, where there will finally be adequate parking for City business.
The City’s Historic District Commission and the Maryland Historic Trust have reviewed the plans for the historic building. The only changes to the current building involve the lesser facades in the rear. Although the City’s Commission likes the use of new materials for the rear delivery doors, the Maryland Trust prefers the corrugated doors from 1952 to remain on the building. So far, this is the only point of contention.
Jeremy Kline of Wheeler Goodman Masek is designing the project, which includes renovating the 11,415 square feet in the current building and building a 10,000 square foot annex building on the southwest corner. The current building will house the administrative offices used during business hours and the annex will hold the police officers and detention cells. A flyover simulation showed a 24/7 public entrance to the new building just west of the current Old Post Office entrance. The bulk of the annex will rise above the Burbank building (which the City attempted to purchase but the owner wanted $1.3 million dollars!). An underground corridor will connect the two buildings.
The lobby of the Old Post office will be preserved exactly as it is now and the mural will be cleaned. The new annex will “respond” to the historic building but not imitate it with carefully chosen materials. The post office lettering on the outside of the building must remain so a rectangular tower is proposed for the corner in front of the current entrance.
The entire project will have sustainable features. A vegetative roof will be built on the annex to deal with storm water management. Although the plans would meet green building standards, the City will not go through the expense of obtaining any official designation.
Harry Thomas expressed concern that the City would not be permitted to update the windows in the Old Post Office to address energy conservation and security issues. The design calls for preserving the current windows and adding custom interior storm windows with the air between acting as insulation.
If all goes well, the entire police station project is expected to be completed by May 2011.
Follow on Twitter
How much will this project cost the City of Rockville Tax Payers?
From the Appropriation Schedule:Plan/Design/Insp $830,880Construction $5,217,100Other $720,400with $93,400 requirement for Art in Public ArchitectureFunding Schedule:Bond Proceeds $6,768,380Unfunded Schedule $2,825,000The operating cost impact will be split between two fiscal years adding $113,500 in FY2011 for maintenance, utilities, parking spaces, copier lease and phone lines for half the fiscal year, and $113,500 in FY2012 for remaining maintenance, utilities, parking and office equipment.Upon completion, the leases for 20 and 30 Courthouse Square will not be renewed.
Thanks for that update. I also heard Chief Treschuk describe the plan at a recent WECA meeting. It’s also important to point out that the city got the exiting building and land FOR FREE, or perhaps $1, from the govt. A good investment. It would have cost far more had this not happened. The current headquarters are terribly cramped and do not permit good police-citizen interactions.In addition, the new building will free up space in existing City Hall, which is also desperately needed. Thanks to all who are making this happen. And let’s think about how we benefit, not just an undue and incomplete emphasis on cost to “Rockville Tax Payers.”
[...] As I wrote, the City tried to buy it as part of the new police station complex but the owner wanted $1.3 million. [...]