Harvard officials to secure funds for new police station

Harvard Mayor Michael Kelly and City Administrator Dave Nelson have been authorized to secure funding for the construction of a new Harvard police station at a cost not to exceed $350,000 a year.

Nelson said he expects to report back to the City Council with a financing vehicle by its next meeting.

In September, the City Council approved a contract in the amount of $26,800 with Elmhurst-based Dewberry Architects Inc. for the first phase of a three-pronged plan that will provide for space needs and site planning.

During a Jan. 25 public property meeting, Brian Meade presented three scenarios for a new station: a remodeling of the current basement and a one-story addition to the current building, a one-story addition with a full basement build out and a two-story addition with no basement.

At its next meeting Feb. 13, the public property committee reached consensus for the city to act as general contractor and use community development director Steve Santeler to act in that capacity.

The City Council approved moving forward with financing options during its Tuesday meeting.

The 60-year-old police station has been subject to a number of maintenance issues over the past few years, including flooding issues that forced carpet to be stripped and deteriorating plumbing that forced urinals to be removed.

The building originally was a Loyal Order of Moose lodge, meaning it was not built with certain police amenities, such as a sally port.

Nelson had said the city is hoping to have around $1 million in capital improvement funds reserved for the project when the time comes to start paying off the debt.