‘A very aggressive schedule’: Design for new Libertyville police facility underway
Design is underway for a new police station in Libertyville, four years after an evaluation to replace the aging, cramped facility began.
Chicago architectural firm FGMA Inc., was hired April 8 to design a new $25 million to $30 million facility to replace the longtime police headquarters at 200 E. Cook Ave.
FGMA was selected as the highest ranking of nine firms for the police station project and was awarded a contract of $2,435,500. The design process is for a building of about 35,000 square feet solely for police operations and is expected to take six to eight months.
The existing station occupies about two-thirds of the Schertz municipal building just east of downtown. The community development department and public works’ engineering division occupy the rest.
Police space currently is undersized and there haven’t been significant building improvements in the former village hall in about 30 years, according to the village.
A report in 2022 showed the building in its current state was disjointed and “not providing basic needs required by modern police departments.”
Police operations will be at a to-be-determined location while the Schertz building is demolished and a new facility built. Leased space at 325 N. Milwaukee Ave. is being renovated with the planned, permanent move of the engineering and community development departments scheduled for June.
The new station will include indoor parking for 30 police vehicles; a modern firing range to allow for tactical training; capacity for future growth of sworn officers and civilian staff; a defensive tactics training room; social services rooms and offices; and, an emergency operations center/multipurpose room, according to the FGMA agreement.
A schedule will be determined when the design process is further along and demolition likely will begin in fall or early winter, said Village Administrator Kelly Amidei.
“A very aggressive schedule for the project has been set and between design and construction the village is hopeful that the new station will be completed in 24 months, as it is well overdue,” she said.
“However, this early in the project it is very hard to determine if there will be any delays,” Amidei added.
The village has been collecting a 1/2% local sales task since 2022 dedicated to a new building fund to improve village facilities. This provides a dedicated source of about $1.6 million annually and is intended to “remove the financial burden of a new police station from local property taxpayers,” Amidei said.
The current balance is about $14 million and includes proceeds from the sale of the Libertyville Sports Complex properties.
The village plans to issue $20 million in alternate revenue bonds to finance the police station project with the annual debt payment coming from the sales tax fund, Amidei said.