Jackson expected to OK plan for new police station, fire station upgrades

Jackson first responders have a better idea of what to expect from a proposed facility expansion, now that city officials largely have settled on a floor plan.

The Jackson Board of Aldermen will vote tonight on whether to accept a plan for a new police station and renovated fire station.

During a study session earlier this month, they expressed their favor for one of three proposed plans, and are expected to approve it tonight.

The $8,031,768 proposal includes constructing a new building to house the city's police department and emergency operations center, as well as renovations to the existing facility that houses the fire department.

The city first began looking into expanding its first responders' facilities in May 2014, beginning with a needs assessment that determined current buildings would be ill-equipped to keep pace with expected growth of Jackson's population over the next 20 years.

The current police department building, built in 1980, was found to need more workspace and updated security.

With help from Cape Girardeau architect Phillip Smith and the Kansas City, Missouri, architectural firm of Williams, Spurgeon, Kuhl and Freshnock, the city determined it would need 10,676 square feet for the police department and 4,523 square feet for the fire department.

Of three options presented to the Jackson Board of Aldermen, option two would have been the least expensive, at about $7.4 million.

Option one would have cost just under $8 million.

But the chosen plan, option 3, is the most expensive of the three, at just over $8 million.

In plans presented to the board of aldermen in November, the chosen design would integrate improved security measures that would enhance control of personnel, detainees and evidence. It also would feature a designated area for the processing of automobiles for evidence, which architect Rick Kuhl said would reinforce chain of custody.

The emergency operations center, which houses dispatch operators for the police and fire departments, also would be in the new facility.

Renovations to the fire station are designed to enhance security, provide space and protect the structure against the elements, as the building suffered water damage from basement leaks in the past.

Kuhl said the plan also includes enlarging the fire station's parking lot to give more room for the fire engines to move and for firefighters to roll out lengths of fire hose for drying and storage.

Because the facility will need to provide emergency services with room to grow over the next few decades, city officials were more attracted to the options that included new construction rather than just renovations.

Since the construction of the existing facility, Jackson has nearly doubled in population, from 7,827 to an estimated 14,677 in 2014, according to the most recent Census data.

Kuhl said although the needs assessment focused on the next 20 years, his team of architects intended their designs to be sufficient for up to 50 years.

The proposed police station also will include what Kuhl referred to as a "hardened area," such as a safe room, that can be used in case of a disaster. He later clarified it may not be compliant with guidelines from the Federal Emergency Management Administration, as the plans are alterable.

"That would be the goal," he told the board of alderman. "But we'll call it a 'hardened area' for now."

tgraef@semissourian.com

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