Elmhurst council approves design phase and funding approach for new police station

The Elmhurst City Council voted to authorize the architectural design and engineering phase for a new police station and accepted a financing plan that would phase bond issuance and identify revenue sources to pay construction costs.

The council approved the Public Affairs & Safety Committee report—which recommends pursuing a new facility at the current police station site, funding the design phase with an initial bond issuance and pursuing construction financing thereafter—by a recorded vote of 13 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent.

The committee’s report traces the project back to a 2018 space-needs study and sets out three options considered then and since: renovate and add on to the existing building, build a new facility, or repair the existing building without addressing space deficiencies. Committee members said updated estimates have driven the project toward replacement rather than renovation. The committee included updated cost estimates from FGM Architects and a local industry review; the report said…