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Architects unveil layouts
for city's police station
By Jamie Teibel
Summer
Editor
Architects introduced roposed layouts for the new
West Lafayette Police Station at the Board of Works meeting on Monday.
The layout is based on the preferred occupancy scenario — a basement
with two floors above it.
"We want this building to be what the building
is about, which is police," said architect Brent Dodd, RQAW Consulting
Engineers & Architects.
According to the layout, each floor has ample space
for each aspect of a police department.
The 7,226 gross square feet of basement will contain
an area for electrical equipment, men's showers and restroom, women's
showers and restroom, a fitness area, storage space, a laboratory, an
underground parking facility for employee use, two stairwells and one
elevator. It will also include alternate unfinished space for immediate
storage and future use. It is cost effective and can be used for immediate
storage— build now and use later, said Dodd.
The first floor will contain the vestibule as well
as a lobby. The vestibule would be open 24 hours, occupying a phone
for emergencies. "It gives the public a general understanding that they
always have a secure place to go," said Dodd.
There will be an administrative area containing
the offices of police officials, a conference room and administrative
assistants. There will also be a training area, offices for data technicians,
rooms for interviewing, a break room, storage space, five restrooms,
an above ground, covered parking facility for employee use, two stairwells
and one elevator. Entirely, the first floor is 10, 685 gross square
feet.
The 8,841 gross square-foot second floor will contain
offices for DARE officers, special service sergeants and lieutenants,
investigations sergeants and lieutenants, detectives, shift sergeants
and lieutenants. There will also be conference rooms, storage space
and rooms for children. In addition, there will be rooms for viewing,
hard and soft interviewing and polygraph testing.
Security for the new police station is a major
issue among committee members and members of the police department.
Dodd reassured them by pointing out the many details
of security throughout the building. Two control centers, both on the
first floor, on either side of the lobby, will have a closed-circuit
TV monitor and a duress alarm. Door position switches will also be put
on the first floor, and most exits will have keypads, door release buttons,
intercoms or closed circuit TV cameras. Keypad entrances allow access
only to police officers, not the general public.
The lower floor will also be equipped with keypads
and intercoms at certain entrances. The second floor will have closed
circuit TV monitors, covert closed circuit cameras, closed circuit TV
alternate security monitoring stations and intercoms.
The security system is electronically operated,
or "fail safe," said Dodd. He said that if the power fails, people are
able to exit the building, but not enter it. The emergency generator
is set to turn on in six to10 seconds after the power failure. "A lot
will have to happen for this system to completely shut down and fail,"
said Dodd.
The members of the committee were also concerned
with the way they wanted the police station to look. They visited other
projects completed by RQAW to get an idea of what they wanted West Lafayette's
police station to look like. Fisher, Noblesville and Hammond police
station structures were the ones they liked the most.
Dodd said they wanted to "pluralize" the area to
make it look like a campus. They wanted to make City Hall and the police
station look similar, but not have the same look. He said the outer
stone of the building would have a warmer texture and color than city
hall. "It will have a compatible feel but take it one detail further,"
said Dodd.
Much discussion took place on the convenience in
operation between the two buildings because there will be a 75-foot
space between City Hall and the police station. Judy Rhoades, city clerk
treasurer, voiced the most complaints because her office has the most
interaction with the police department. She also mentioned the comfort
of having the officers in the building, should any danger occur.
Dodd said there might be a chance to begin construction
sooner due to the lowered interest rates and increase in labor market.
Other issues include the bidding package, rezoning and financing. If
construction is able to begin sooner, a bid date is set for November
or October with a completion date set for October of 2002.
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CITY DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111
ext. 250
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