A ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of South Elgin’s new $20 million Public Safety Center will be held Nov. 23, giving the public its first look at the facility before the police department moves into a state-of-the-art building.
“We’re going from a 6,000-square-foot building to one that’s 30,000 square feet. That alone is enough for us to be happy about,” said Deputy Chief of Operations Brian Polkinghorn, who believes the new center will help boost morale, retain and recruit officers, and serve the community for the next 50 years.
The ribbon-cutting for the two-story facility at 50 S. Water St. will be at 1:30 p.m. followed by building tours and commemorative giveaways from 2 to 4 p.m. The events will coincide with South Elgin’s An Almost Winter’s Day festival being held in nearby Seba Park.
Beyond its use by the police department, the center also will be where South Elgin Village Board meetings are held. With enough room to accommodate more than 100 people, the first-floor meeting space will be available for rental by community groups, businesses and other organizations as well, a village news release said.
Polkinghorn said having that large of a room will allow the police to host classes with other law enforcement agencies.
“Every room in this building was designed for multiple uses so we get more bang for the buck,” he said.
Of the $20 million price tag, South Elgin spokesman Craig Pierce said village officials want to make sure residents know the project was done without a tax increase or significant financing.
“When there’s remaining money in the general fund at the end of the fiscal year, it’s rolled into capital projects funding,” Pierce said. “In the past we’ve been able to use that money for things like additional roadwork.
“In this case, the village was able to apply nearly $11 million of reserves toward the Public Safety Center, plus another $2.7 million from TIF funds. The village financed $7 million for the project and those financed bonds are being paid for with video gaming revenue and a portion of sales tax.”
The building was designed by Kluber Architects + Engineers and construction managed by Lamp Inc. Planning started in summer 2022, and included input from the police department, village board and staff members and trips to view 12 newer police stations in the Chicago suburbs, Polkinghorn said.
It replaces the current police station, which is part of village hall and was designed for a 20-member police department. The square footage has not changed since 1997 despite the town population doubling to more than 24,000 residents and police staff growing by more than 30%, Pokinghorn said.
The department currently has 35 sworn officers, including the chief, two deputy chiefs and six sergeants, Pierce said. There also are six full- and part-time civilian employees.
For the first time, South Elgin police officers will have locker rooms, a break area, a roll call room and separate work spaces for all six sergeants.
Polkinghorn said what officers are most excited about is the workout room on the second floor, which can also be used by village staff.
Other amenities include an emergency operations command center; an adjudication hearing area; designated space for social workers assisting residents, victims and their families; and evidence storage, processing and investigation rooms.
A “scully room” — a drop-off area for prisoners — was designed so it’s large enough to accommodate an ambulance, Polkinghorn said. It also holds laundry machines, an evidence drying rack and a space for stray dogs. An adjacent carport can hold up to six police vehicles.
Two small rooms have been set aside so officers working longer than usual shifts can rest and female employees who are new mothers can breastfeed or pump milk.
“It’s a nice feeling to be proactive in the planning and provide a safe environment for officers to address some challenges of motherhood,” Polkinghorn said. “So often we are reactive in addressing things. It’s nice to provide a solution before it occurs.”
Outside the center is a plaza honoring community members who have served in the military. Paver bricks engraved with veterans’ names were sold to the public and may be installed in the spring in time for Armed Forces Day or Memorial Day.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
