A space-needs analysis indicated that the department needed approximately 35,000 square feet to operate effectively, which will double the size of its present footprint. The address will be 2600 Village Hall Drive and will be located at the village hall campus area.

Lake in the Hills village officials broke ground Friiday with a ceremony to mark the start of construction on a new facility for its police department.

Work is expected to continue for an 18-month period to early 2025. The department’s current building, formerly the village hall, is more than 30 years old and cannot be revamped any further.

A space-needs analysis indicated that the department needed approximately 35,000 square feet to operate effectively, which will double the size of its present footprint. The address will be 2600 Village Hall Drive and will be located at the village hall campus area. “We are very excited to start this new chapter of the Lake in the Hills police department’s history with the groundbreaking of our new facility,” said police chief Mary Frake. “We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of the community, as well as the village of Lake in the Hills.”

Funding for the project is being done in a unique way, with a 50/50 split of cash reserves and general obligation bonds. The total cost estimate is close to $27 million, although the figure could change when all the construction factors are added together. The funding plan was approved by the Village Board last July.

So far, the village has spent $1.7 million on architectural designs, a spaces-needs analysis, and other related costs. The expended amount has been figured into the overall total cost estimate.

“Since we have healthy cash reserves, and when these kinds of projects come up, we can use them,” said Peter Stefan, the village’s finance director. “The idea is to use the cash reserves for the first portion of the project, which we’ve tabbed at $13.5 million, but that’s not written in stone.

“We haven’t issued general obligation bonds for the construction yet, and we won’t borrow the funds until they’re needed to save interest costs,” he said. “Of course, the debt service over a 20-year term is what we are looking at, and it’s a heavy rate. It’s a big investment for us and a worthy project.”

At one time, the village’s administration offices and the police department shared the building. Space-needs studies began in 2005, with recommendations for building expansion and renovations at five- and 10-year increments. In 2002, the village hall moved to a new structure at 600 Harvest Gate.

The police department was able to take over the building and all 17,642 square feet of room for its operations. Over the past two decades, deficiencies in the station’s formatting became evident. Architects were consulted to prepare a new analysis that was proffered to the village board at their August 2019 session.

Three years later, following the COVID pandemic, the village began considering a new facility.

A statement by the department outlined some topics of concern as site parking issues, outdated holding facilities, a larger evidence processing and storage area, upgraded locker rooms with lavatories, the patrol and investigation divisions no longer being separated, as well as meeting ADA accessibility requirements.

“There’s no question that upgrades have been needed for the longest time,” said Stefan. “The retrofitting of the police station over the years was a temporary stop-gap measure. This new facility is planned to last for many decades.”

Options for the present police facility, when it is vacated, are being explored by the village. The possibility of converting the building for use by the village’s parks and recreation department is one avenue of discussion.

The Veterans Memorial will be moved, and it will remain on the village hall campus. The relocation site will be closer to the roadway, giving it a higher visibility status, as a commemorative gathering place.

“We are anticipating October 2025 for the ribbon-cutting ceremony,” said Stefan. “This is the kind of project that you don’t always have funding for … so you better plan it right.”