By Brittany Hanson/Garden Grove Journal
The Westminster Police Department has not yet scheduled the housewarming party, however, it has moved into its new home.
Stepping into the future, the new facility has a forensics lab for evidence processing, increased evidence storage capacity, and Emergency Operations Center, an upgraded 911 communications center that is capable of housing shared regional law enforcement communications, a Type I jail facility and plenty of workspace for current employee use as well as to accommodate future growth at 92,000 square feet.
The building will also be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified, making it more energy efficient in use of power and-electricity.
The maximum cost for the project, which is the highest price the city will allow itself to pay for, is set at $54,352,000.
Although slated for full completion in May, the police force of 200 employees, plus volunteers, has already started making use of the facility, according to Assistant City Clerk Amanda Jensen.
“As for the old building, they’ve started tearing it down already to make space for the new parking garage,” said Jensen.
The new, multi-level garage is the city’s answer to the congested and frequently inadequate parking situation at the city hall and the surrounding civic area.
The new building for the department is a far cry from the former brown brick and concrete appearance of the old station, built in 1968 and located in the Civic Center complex on Westminster Boulevard.
Now, the new, mirrored windows on the building reflect the clouds in the sky.
Forty years ago, the old police building was created to house 60 to 68 employees for the then small town of Westminster.
t had originally been purposed as the City Hall building and after it changed hands to law enforcement was quipped with a little temporary holding facility for arrestees.
The project to rebuild the police building broke ground in 2009 and is a part of a 2002 plan to revamp facilities and keep the costs in-house with no tax raises to the public.
