Estimates for police station project come in over desired budget

Cape Girardeau's city council heard several detailed options for possible future upgrades or replacement of the city's police station Monday, though as presented all were higher than an $11 million desired budget.

Ray Lee and Louise Kowalczyk of FGM Architects Inc. presented the options to the council, public and several members of the city's police department during the council's study session. The firm was hired by the council in February to take an inventory of the 38-year-old station's existing space and condition and to create recommendations for plans to build an addition to the station, build a new one or convert other available space into a station. The study cost $100,000.

Overall, the firm's study found that the existing station and jail contains much less space than the current police force needs, and if the staff were to grow by 30 employees over the next 25 to 30 years as expected, the current station would provide less than half of the space the department needs to operate. Specifically, the study also found the station does not have enough room for adequate evidence storage and processing, prisoner transfer, employee workspace and prisoners in the jail. Problems also plague the building's electrical, heating and cooling and plumbing systems, while security lacks throughout the building.

Options

• The first option presented by the firm would include renovation of the existing station at 40 S. Sprigg St., and would add about 10,000 square feet to the jail and 15,750 square feet to the station by building another floor and adding on to the first floor. Parking would also be expanded. The firm estimated the total project budget to be between $13.9 million and $14.8 million.
• The second option presented was to build an entirely new police station and jail on the existing building site and add parking. The current station would stay in place during construction. The total estimated project budget for that option is between $14.1 million and $14.9 million.
• The third option would be to covert the former federal building at 339 Broadway into a police station and jail. The firm found the building contains adequate space for a conversion but that additional parking for that site would need to be secured by the city. The total estimated project budget is between $12.6 and $13.5 million.

Total project budget included the cost of land acquisition, furniture, fixtures, equipment, fees and 10 percent contingencies.

Because of several "cons" the firm found with plans for adding on to the current station and converting the federal building, it ultimately recommended the city consider the second option, building an entirely new station -- as it moves forward.

Cons of adding on to the current station included: that phased construction would be needed; a move for the department during construction would be costly and the moving of prisoners costly and possibly problematic; that building systems need significant upgrades; and that the cost for the renovation and addition compare with the cost for a completely new station. Cons for conversion of the federal building were also numerous -- in addition to needing to find more parking, the firm also said the city would need to buy the property, which is on the market for $1 million -- and that the result of the police station relocating to Broadway could in some ways end up problematic.

"You would need to think about whether you would want to release detainees directly into the downtown business area," Lee told the council, adding that other concerns for the location included increased traffic and noise from emergency vehicles and pedestrian traffic mixing with police vehicles as well as moving the station away from higher-crime areas of the city.

As for nearing the city's more-desired $11 million budget, Lee gave a variety of options for lowering cost -- such as reducing contingency amounts and reducing the size of proposed jail space since the cost of building it can make up as much as a third of total construction cost -- but was only able to lower the amount the city could expect to pay in order to meet the needs for the police department and jail laid out by the firm to between $12.4 million and $12.8 million.

The city does not yet have any finalized plans for funding upgrades or new construction of a police station or public safety center, but several ideas have been floated by the council, including beginning a savings fund or redirecting sales tax revenue streams.

Mayor Harry Rediger said Monday after the presentation that the council will closely review the firm's options and discuss the issue at upcoming study sessions. A full version of the presentation is available on the city's website, cityofcapegirardeau.org.

Other business

The council agreed during the study session to continue moving toward consideration of a new ordinances that would cover the abatement of nuisances, including graffiti, unlicensed vehicles, open storage of junk and general nuisance abatement procedures for issuing special tax bills to pay for abatement costs. Some language in the ordinance pertaining to fines will be changed, while a second proposed ordinance that would cover chronic or criminal nuisance properties will be considered separately and at a later date so the city has more time to answer questions about the ordinance's legalities.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

40 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO

339 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO