Wilmette village officials are contemplating three possible futures for the village’s outdated police station after receiving feedback from residents concerned about project costs.
Officials are considering delaying the construction of a new building for five years, renovating/adding on to the current building or constructing a completely new building. The second two options would see the project completed in 2027 while the five-year delay would push the project completion back to 2032.
Original plans to update the police station began in 2003 with the first space needs study. Others have been conducted since in both 2008 and 2023. An initial study conducted by FGM Architects found a new department would need to be approximately 60,500 square feet at an estimated cost of $55 million. The village brought on a third-party architect and estimates were reduced to around $51.4 million.
Wilmette Village Manager Michael Braiman said leaving the police station, built in 1968 with an addition in 1986, as is would be an “unacceptable solution.”
“This police department, as soon as you walk inside you’ll realize, does not function the way it needs to to properly serve our community,” Braiman said. “It, frankly, is embarrassing from a village manager perspective that this is the station we have that is protecting and serving our citizens.”
Wilmette Police Chief Kyle Murphy explained the life expectancy of the building in 1968 was 20 to 30 years, a number that has long since been eclipsed. He also argued the current firing range and defensive tactics training space aren’t up to par, forcing officers to go elsewhere for training and limiting the amount available to them.
“When we have officers that are physically fit and confident in their abilities, we see lower levels of force being used,” Murphy said.
Marc Rogers, a representative for project management company CCS International, said costs will continue to rise at an estimated $2.5 million per year the further the project gets pushed off.
If the village were to move forward with renovation, the majority of the existing building would need to be demolished in order to meet current building and space standards. Rogers said the basement slab, first floor structure and some exterior walls could be saved, equating to $2.3 million in savings compared to a full rebuild.
Despite this, the current building couldn’t support additional floors or align with required space needs.
“Trying to get that in there, can you do it? Yes,” Rogers said. “But you’re going to save very little money and you’re going to put a handcuff, essentially, on the design team and the police department going forward where they’re not going to be as effective.”
Trustee Steve Lombard said this route isn’t a viable option if the space won’t be as usable or meet the needs of the police department. He also worries there could be unforeseen issues with the current building that would negate any cost savings with a renovation.
Some of those needs or “should have” components include an updated firing range, expanded multipurpose room, indoor parking and expansions for social services and other staff. The most costly of these by far is the indoor parking, estimated at over $4.4 million compared to the estimated $2.3 million for the firing range.
If built, the firing range and multi-purpose room could also be used to host firearms training classes and save the department funds that could be spent elsewhere, according to Assistant Village Manger Erik Hallgren. Murphy also said the department could secure more seats for competitive training courses if they are hosted in Wilmette, while also serving as a polling site or other community benefit.
Hallgren also estimates potential savings from idling police vehicles if indoor parking was included, to the tune of $1.9 million with the extended vehicle lifetimes, and equated the environmental impact to the annual mileage of two police squad vehicles.
The Public Safety Committee will send the plan options along to the Finance Committee, with the Village Board also expected to review the options at the Tuesday, July 23 meeting.
A community open house is scheduled for Sept. 19 for residents to learn more about the project. Residents can also tour the police department on Tuesday, July 30 at 9 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 25 at 11 a.m. and Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.
