6 days ago
Lake Forest officials preparing for police department move, renovation of current building for fire department
Lake Forest city officials continue to prepare for a renovation of the existing public safety building in combination with the scheduled move of its police department to the western portion of the city.
On August 4, the Lake Forest City Council authorized City Manager Jason Wicha to enter into a $651,000 design contract with Chicago-based Wight & Company for the proposed redesign of the current public safety building at 255 W. Deerpath Road. The city intends to convert that facility, which was constructed in the 1960s, into the exclusive home of the fire department, corresponding with the expected move of the police department to 1925 Field Court in the Conway Park office complex.
'While we will miss our friends, but this is a really neat opportunity for us,' Fire Department Chief Andrew Rick told the City Council. He described the current building as outdated and cramped, with inadequate living and working quarters for the fire department employees.
The city's professional services contract ($620,000 plus $31,000 for contingencies) with Wight & Company is for design, construction drawings, and cost estimating services, providing a guide toward a makeover of the Deerpath building.
City Manager Jason Wicha told the City Council he did not anticipate the city would issue any debt for the Deerpath Road building conversion. After the meeting, Wicha said the city has tentatively budgeted $8 million for construction, but added that the figure is subject to change.
Wicha added that construction of the Deerpath building could not start until the police department moves out, which is expected to occur in September 2026.
Meanwhile, the city continues to plan for the expected move of the police department from the Deerpath building.
Last year, the city purchased the Field Court building for $3.5 million and is currently working with a $25 million estimate to retrofit the building, according to Wicha. He predicted that a combination of debt service and existing reserves would be used to fund the construction.
'What the exact balance of that is will be once we know the exact construction costs,' Wicha said.
City spokeswoman Dana Olson noted the construction package will be released on August 14, leading to City Council consideration at a September meeting.
The new building is expected to be about 56,000 square feet, and the city plans to lease out some of that space. Olson said negotiations are ongoing with potential tenants, and more information would be shared upon the finalization of terms.
City officials maintain renovating the Field Court is less expensive than constructing a new building, which other suburban communities are currently considering.
