Englewood’s former police headquarters was 50 years old and too small to function effectively. It was connected to the existing fire station as part of the city’s old public safety services complex. The project team had to build out a new 50,000-sq-ft police station without disrupting operations. 

Crews reconstructed key components of the combined structure so the fire station could become a stand-alone building. Construction on the police station began just feet from the existing building. A city stormwater line runs under the block, so the team built a temporary sanitary storage system until final connections could be made. After move-in, crews resequenced utilities without removing power, sanitary and other systems. The former station was then demolished, and the new systems began operating without disruptions. 

The sustainably designed police headquarters includes life-cycle cost strategies to reduce energy consumption and maintenance. It includes a multipurpose training room that also functions as an emergency operations center, with upgraded security systems and enhanced infrastructure for data, voice and other communications. A secure parking lot increases the safety of police and their vehicles. 

One of the goals was to build a strong connection with the community, so spaces were designed to encourage interaction between visitors and law enforcement. The building was developed using two primary components: the wrap and the station. The wrap is the public interface, anchoring the building to the plaza, with police operations contained within it.

Back to Number of Best Projects Entries Remains Strong Despite the Pandemic