HomeMy WebLinkAboutNew Police Station-1993/1997 Winter Springs to buy land
for bigger police station
By Elaine Bennett said. "We're out of space on the
city services side of the building
OF THE SENTINEL STAFF as well."
Police Capt.Charlie Sexton,who
WINTER SPRINGS — City has been running the police de-
commissioners agreed this week partment, said he was pleased
to buy 27 acres for a new police with the commission decision.
station. "We really need a new building
The 41-member police depart- and the administrative services
ment is working in cramped of- really need to expand," he said.
Sees in the municipal building on "For the past couple years,we all
State Road 434. have been working in cramped
The police department occupies quarters. We appreciate the corn-
the south side of the building.The mission's decision."
north side is used for the city's ad- Commissioners agreed to buy
ministration, building depart- the new police station site south
ment, city clerk, purchasing, pay- of State Road 434, between Moss
roll, personnel, engineering, land Road and Edgemon Avenue, for
planning and finance.A lobby and $350,000. The property is just
the commission chambers sepa- north of the city's public works
rate the two sides. The staff for department,a city fire station and
utilities, public works, parks and fire department administrative of-
recreation and fire protection are fices.
scattered in six other city build- Commissioners plan to pay for
ings throughput Winter Springs. the land with money the city ex-
Earlier suggestions to expand pects to save by refinancing a
the municipal building were dis- 1985 bond issue at an estimated 5
missed by commissioners and percent interest rate.
staff because too many parking In 1991, the city refinanced the
spaces would have to be eliminat- bond issue when interest rates
ed, said John Govoruhk, the for- dropped to 7.125. An estimated
mer police chief and acting city $1.44 million from that refinanc-
manager. ing helped pay for improvements
'We're not just out of space at to the city's west side utility
the police department," Govoruhk plants.
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New
Wintei Springs Police
Station t
0 open this s ri n
BY LINDA HrJbIPII1tEY
p
Construction of the new Winter Springs hind City Hall to move inside," he said. will be the new telecommunication equipment
Police Station should be completed by the end LeBlanc said the new police facility is being including installation of a 800 Megahertz
of May,much to the delight of employees now built at a cost of slightly more than$1.8 mil- (MHZ) System. This sophisticated system
serving in a crowded City Hall.The 17,000 sq. lion.The building also has an additional 3,000 will allow officers in Winter Springs to com-
ft.building,located just a stone's throw away sq.ft.space which can be completed at a later municate freely with law enforcement in such
from the fire station on Moss Road,will house date as expansion needs increase. areas as Longwood,Lake Mary,and with the
more than 40 employees including Dan Kerr, Captain Robert Pieper said staff are ex- Sheriff's Department throughout the county
the new police chief,captains,lieutenants,in- cited and encouraged about the benefits of "This is much more efficient and will provide
vestigators,and patrol officers. Administra- the new location."We moved into City Hall in a greater range of communication among our-
tive and clerical workers within the depart- 1983-84. We were told this would meet our selves and more interaction with other agen-
ment will also move into the building upon needs through the year 2000. We knew that cies,"Pieper said.This has not been possible
completion. wasn't true. We've had two or three employ- with the current 158 MHZ system the city is
Ground was broken for the building in ees working in a space designed for one or now using,Pieper added.
April, 1996,according to Don LeBlanc,land two employees," he said. A workout room Contracting for the building is being
development coordinator for Winter Springs. and reference library are just two of the ameni- handled through Southland Building Contrac-
"They are pretty crowded at City Hall. This ties in the new building which also sports three tors,Inc.,in Longwood,with site work being
will make more room for the workers in other holding cells and a DUI area. completed by Conklin,Porter and Holmes. Ar-
offices such as the utility trailer located be- Another exciting feature of the building chitect Design Grp did the architectural work.
0 6
Move means brighter days
for Winter police
S rin s
p g
By Will Wellons 1
OF THE SENTINEL STAFF 4,,,' �+
1 a I .."—
WINTER SPRINGS — The ' ' ,,, f - f .
dark, cramped days at the Winter .� �_
Springs Police Department are
over.
Today, the department will va- s,.,..• ,'- .,
cate its space in half of City Hall s -�
and move to a new office on Moss = , ��
Road less than a mile north of ,::,
State Road 434. '' ;,
Moving crews will transfer fur --r''°" F ; -''
niture today; police dispatchers 1 4` ',_
already are taking calls in the „
new building. ..-
The move will not change the .
number of officers patrolling the ,"
streets, Police Chief Daniel Kerr ,,
said. `
The new station is nothing DENNIS WALL/THE ORLANDO SENTINEL
fancy, he said, adding that the
new building is bigger, brighter New digs. Mary Watson of the Police Department's computer ser-
and more customer-friendly than vices department works as employees install shelves.
the old police station.
Winter Springs spent $1.5 mil- Hall was designed for. room is big enough to hold Neigh-
lion on the 20,000-square-foot Most of the officers will have borhood Watch or police advisory
building, which is twice the size natural light spilling into their committee meetings, Kerr said.
of the old Police Department. work space. Only the booking ar- The new home makes the de-
About 3,000 square feet have been ea and holding cells do not have partment much more accessible
left unimproved for future expan- windows. to the public,the chief said,a con-
sion. Visitors to the police station trast to the controlled environ-
"This is a big step forward for will notice a more open look. The ment it is leaving.
us," Kerr said as he gave a tour of public will be able to talk to the Kerr plans a grand opening in
the building. "We were cramped workers at the front desk without mid-December to show off the
like sardines in City Hall." talking through plexiglass. The building to the public.
The Winter Springs depart- building has been designed to The vacated police space at
ment has 64 employees and 44 have a police resource officer City Hall will be converted to of-
sworn officers — twice as many close to the front door. Tice space for the city water de-
people as the old space at City The station's large training partment and other city offices.
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