Substation No. 1, the City’s new police substation, serves the residents and businesses of the Far North Neighborhood. The 12,138 S.F. facility was designed to house two precincts and a midwatch shift. The site and building design utilize both natural and manmade barriers to provide enhanced security for law enforcement personnel. The design includes garage space for a mobile substation, bicycle patrol storage, a secure police parking lot with covered cruiser parking, a community / police training room and a physical fitness center for police personnel. A combination locker room and Tornado Storm Shelter has been designed to include lockers with outlets for charging, toilet / shower facilities, and clerestory windows for daylighting. Tactical gear lockers have been located near the police entrance for rapid response. The station includes a Roll Call space with direct access to a secured equipment room, charging & storage areas for body cameras, radios, tasers and other equipment. A secured BAC room is provided to administer blood alcohol content testing.
The station has found the balance between state-of-the-art operations while maintaining a connection with the surrounding community and adjacent recreation center. Carefully located masonry screen walls and landscaping features around the facility screen the nearby residences. An ornamental fence along a public bicycle path provides a visual link to residents that use the bike path, the adjacent community center and a neighborhood school. This project was designed using LEED Version 3.