The Police Station was originally designed as a combined Village Hall and Police Station in 1992.  In 2002, the department expanded operations taking over the entire building after Village Hall operations moved into the new Village Hall building. In 2005, the Village contracted with FGM Architects to complete a space needs analysis of the three structures essential for Village operations. The study included the Village Hall, Public Works building, and the Police Station.  The study provided space needs for the Police Station based on the department’s size and operations at the time. The recommendations included renovation and building expansion projects for five and ten years into the future that never materialized.

The department continues to operate in the 30-year-old facility that has been revamped to its maximum potential in its current footprint.  Since the 2005 study, policing and the department’s operations have changed.  The original design of the station is not optimal for services today and is critically deficient in several areas. FGM Architects has been hired to update the 2005 space needs analysis.  The goals of the updated study are;

• Identifying the current space required for the department to function effectively
• Identify potential future department space needs
• Provide recommended building programs, with three possible solutions
• Develop an estimated project budget for proposed solutions
• To be used as a tool to inform stakeholders about Police Station deficiencies impacting operations
• To be used as a long-term planning tool for capital improvements to the Police Station

FGM provided highlights of the new space needs program to the Village Board at the Board of Trustees meeting on August 22, 2019. The presentation is available here. The next step in the process was the development of the final report summarizing all of the findings of the study. The study recommendations are a starting point intended to provide the Village with the necessary information to make an informed decision for the space needs of the Police Department and develop long-term, cost-effective plans. 

We value the input of the residents we serve, which is critical for formulating the long-term capital improvement plans for our public safety building.  Questions or comments on the Police Station Space Needs Study can be submitted using the Village’s Lake in the Hills Speak Out form by clicking here.