Updated design plans and cost projections for a new Wilmette Police Station were shared with members of the Village Board and nearby neighbors this month.
No action on the project, which has an estimated price tag of $50.5 million, was taken during the board’s April 8 meeting, but trustees may be asked to approve the next steps and contracts on April 22, even as modifications to the plan are ongoing.
“We haven’t come to the final solution yet,” said Village President Senta Plunkett following concerns expressed by neighbors of the proposed station.
The updated plan presented to the board calls for replacing the existing, 57-year-old police station at Ridge Road and Birchwood Avenue with a new, 53,054 square-foot, two-story police headquarters with underground and surface parking. The building will include a secure transport area for arrestees, known as a sally port, and a secured area for police vehicles, Police Chief Mike Robinson said.
As proposed, the building’s footprint will extend into the adjacent Howard Park, taking up approximately 3,487 square feet, or 0.9%, of the total park space, the village said. About 5% of the southwest field will be affected, and underground stormwater detention will be added at the park’s southwest corner, plans show.
According to village officials, the impact to the park has been reduced by 25% since the previous design, and the southwest ball field will not need to be relocated.
The construction of a new police station will require the village to borrow funds through a bond issue, trustees were told during a presentation. Included in the $50.5 million expense is $429,000 to rent a building for police operations for a period of nearly two years during the demolition process and construction of the new building.
A number of zoning variances, which must ultimately be approved by the Village Board, will be required due to the “very tight” nature of the building on the site, said Village Manager Michael Braiman.
A new police station has been part of the village’s long-term capital plan since 2017. Planning of the new station has been ongoing since November.
On April 8, members of the board of Village Green Atrium, a senior condominium directly north of the police station, expressed concerns with the current plan. Some of these concerns included traffic using a newly proposed main access road, the ability for residents to easily access their property, and loss of green space between buildings.
“I think the Atrium has always had a great relationship with the police department and we respect their need for a larger facility, but as their oldest and closest neighbors, we do have concerns about the impacts to our residents and our property,” said board member Dona Porter. “[This design] increases the negative impact on our property.”
Braiman assured Porter and other residents who spoke that their concerns will be addressed and officials will continue working with them.
“I’m confident we will find a solution that works for everybody,” he said.
“We spent a lot of time trying to limit the impact on Howard Park, and I feel we’ve done the best we can and I’m really happy with that,” Plunkett added. “Now we have to make sure we have all the other boxes checked.”
