2002-11-27 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Addressing these issues willlikelv re- quire professional input bv a consultant experienced, in law enforcement facilitv plannin,,;, How~ver, police professionals should remain actively involved through- out the process. The outcome of the evaluation of exist- ing facility reuse will be entirely depen- dent upon the particular ciIcumstances presented. However, don't be surprised if the existing facility fails on the first criteri- on of adequacY of space. The reason is that it is not uncorrunon for police depart- ment staffing and operations to have ex- panded significantly with the communi- ty's growth since the time the existing facility was built or acquired. In facti it is not 1.IDcommon to find that an existing police facility provides only 20 to 30 percent of the total space that a de- tailed programming analysis, including the application of standards, finds to be re- quired. The universe from which this state- ment is derived comprises those facilities where shortages of various kinds have de- veloped over a period of many years. The decision whether to reuse and ex- pand an existing facility may be driven more by site considerations than the value of the existing structure. The ability to stay at the existing location eliminates the cost of an alternate site acquisition. And the existing facility may indeed offer space that has value in a remodeled or re- cycled form. The expanded and remod- eled police facility in Champaign,illinois, is an example of this approach. In the overall evaluation of an existing facility as a candidate for renovation,. cer- tain other ctiteria are likely to be promi- nent Among these are the considerations of existing mechanical, electrical, and tech- nology support systems. With a facility that is 20 or more years old, these systems may very well be at the end of their useful Jives. If the remodeling required is extensive, " the cost of new- partitions, doors, security systems, finishes, equipment, and so on,. is likely to be just as great in an existing build- ing as in a new building.lnfact, in.the most extensive remodeling, the only retained value of the existing building may be the structural frame and exterior enclosure. These components compose only about 10 to 15 percent of the value of the building. It willaiso be important to evaluate whether the functionality of the end result will be comproroised by the configuration of the existing facility. Apparent cost sav- ings achieved through renovation must be compared agaIDst potential reduction in staffing efficiency and quality of ser- vices delivered to the public. Unlike new construction,. the outer limits of the floor plan are already in place. The plan can't always be shaped to distnoute space in the optimal manner. The New Facility Alternative It will usually help in the process to compare the features that can be obtained' through new construction against thos~ achieved, from a remodeling or expan- sion. If for no other reason, this should be done in order to determine the dilierence in cost betw"een the choices. This informa- tion could be instrumental in tipping the decision in one direction or the other. For the purpose ot this comparison, it is not necessary to develop a detailed de- sign for a riew facility: It will normally be sufficient to take the total "gross square footage" that has been developed in the space program at an average "cost per. square foot" according to recent constrnc- tian cost experience for similar buildings in the geographic vicinity: To this, an al- lowance needs to be added for site acqui- sition (if any), site work, professional fees, and other project expenses. Again,. the ser- vices. of an' experienced professional will generally be helpful and most likely nec- essary to do this properly. Quite clearly. the new construction op- tion brings with it the ability to design a PUBLIC SAFElY'S MOST RELIABLE SOURCE W1th unparalleled search alpabilities and rapid customer service . .response, the power of Spillman so~e remains unchallenged in'the industry: Over 500 users nationwide agree, Spillman. sets the standard for software solutions in disp~ records management, mo~ile, mapping, jail,. and imaging. Cotr.e visit us at IACP, booth 1533. I ..l Circle no. 120 on Reader Response Card smlwml ~1Si1!!ik~) Serving CUSEomers since 19i8 888./ /4.5562 . spillman.a>m sa~i?"'qo@#Jillnzan.com 5D. I THE POLICE c...uJP....F/OCTOBER20Q2 105