Idaho Falls hires architect to design new police station
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IDAHO FALLS — Locals may soon get a peek at what the new police station in Idaho Falls will look like.
The Idaho Falls City Council has chosen Florida based Architects Design Group to come up with designs for the facility, officially signing a $86,060 contract last week. The firm specializes in government buildings, and will be working hand-in-hand with local architectural firm NBW Architects to complete the project.
Both firms will analyze the construction site and come up with conceptual designs and renderings of the police complex.
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“It has been over fifteen years since the first time new Idaho Falls Police facilities were considered, and this is the furthest the process has ever come,” Idaho Falls Police Department spokeswoman Jessica Clements told EastIdahoNews.com. “There are more steps ahead to consider, but it is exciting to be taking this necessary next step with both a national expert in the specialized needs of police facilities and a talented home-based Idaho Falls architectural firm on board.”
During a bidding process, Idaho Falls received 10 proposals from national, regional and local firms before selecting the architectural partnership, according to a news release. A committee reviewed and selected the proposal before sending it to the city council for approval.
Currently, the Idaho Falls Police Department crams itself into 5,670 square feet at Bonneville County’s Law Enforcement Building built in the 1970s. Last year, the city purchased the stockyards on Northgate Mile and said if all goes according to plan the site will serve as the new home to the police station.
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The purchase was contingent on a positive outcome from an environmental study paid for by a $600,000 EPA grant. The city finalized ownership on Jan. 1.
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The city expects the initial phase to begin Monday and conclude after about three months, according to the contract reviewed by EastIdahoNews.com.
The police department plans to update the community as the design process moves forward in the coming weeks.
While the city works on the initial design and estimates the cost to build the station, funding remains a question. City officials said before moving forward with construction they will look at all their options. Funding will also likely be discussed at city council meetings once they finalized estimated costs.
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