Lake Forest advances design of new police station at 1925 Field Court; advisory group backs in‑building firing range

Chief John Burke provided a detailed design update March 3 on the planned Lake Forest Police Department headquarters at 1925 Field Court and the City Council signaled consensus to advance design work for an interior firing range as part of the adaptive reuse project.

The proposal covers an adaptive reuse of the existing roughly 55,000 square‑foot building purchased by the city. Chief Burke said the city acquired 1925 Field Court following a unanimous council vote in April 2024 on a purchase-and-sale agreement for $3,500,000. "Adaptive reuse of an existing building was the most viable option," Burke said, and he presented floor plans that include public service areas, training rooms, evidence storage, a sally port and underground vehicle/evidence parking.

The midsection of the report described three range options the project team studied: renovating and expanding the current basement range (estimated about $2,600,000), building a standalone external range in the rear lot (estimated about $5,600,000) and constructing a range inside the new police building (estimated about $4,600,000). The City Manager's Advisory Committee, chaired by Jed Morris, recommended moving forward with an interior range in the new building as the most practical balance of cost, schedule and long‑term functionality. "If the firing range is going to be within the building, it needs to proceed now at the start of construction," Morris said.

Why it matters: the council and advisory committee framed the project as a recruitment and retention tool for the department and a potential regional training asset because the Field Court site offers more parking and training space than many neighboring communities can obtain. Advisory member Rosemary Kerr said the building also provides room for future expansion and underground parking that would be costly to construct from scratch.

Design highlights and timeline Chief Burke outlined programmatic changes and reused elements intended to reduce cost: records storage and a large training room accessible to the public, separate locker and wellness spaces for officers, an officer-only elevator between basement and upper floors, a secure evidence suite with a fuming hood and separate storage for guns, drugs and money, and a sally port/safe vehicle processing area. Burke said design work began after the council authorized Cordogan Clark & Associates (project architect) in September 2024 and that cost estimates for renovation work ranged from about $24,500,000 to $28,800,000, versus $41,600,000–$51,600,000 for new construction.

The presentation also described near-term steps and constraints: acoustical and structural engineering will be required if the range is inside the building; adding a range later would be difficult and more costly than including it during initial construction; and the project team expects to go to bid in early to mid summer. Jason (City Manager) asked for council direction to proceed with interior‑range design work, and Mayor Tack confirmed there was no alderman who preferred an outside range, so the staff has the consensus needed to continue detailed design.

Range options and operational considerations Chief Burke noted the police department currently uses an existing basement range and that training needs extend beyond firearms qualification to include taser and less‑lethal shotgun training and high‑risk traffic stop drills. The consultants presented tradeoffs for each option: the lowest cost (basement renovation) has limitations on props and vehicle access; the standalone external range offers the best acoustical isolation and easiest vehicle props but carries zoning, covenant and utility extension complications; and an in‑building range requires more engineering to control sound and vibration but preserves convenience and programmatic integration.

Advisory committee members and design consultants emphasized the importance of early acoustical analysis. Brian Kronwitter, project lead from Cordogan Clark & Associates, described typical mitigation measures including added mass to the slab, resilient hangers and ceiling systems and tested sound‑attenuation materials. Kronwitter said a sound acoustician will model transmission based on the range layout and ammunition characteristics to confirm mitigation is feasible.

Council direction, next steps and public outreach Councilmembers asked about parking impacts (Chief Burke said post-construction restriping would provide roughly 30 secured indoor spaces for police vehicles), regional training interest and the feasibility of signage and Conway Park covenant issues. Jed Morris and Rosemary Kerr said the advisory committee generally supports including the range now rather than deferring it. Jason said final, binding cost decisions will follow the formal bid process; the council will have an opportunity to review firm construction bids and consider the range as an add/alternate if desired.

Open houses for the public on the Field Court site were announced: Tuesday, March 11, 4–6 p.m., and Thursday, March 13, 5–7 p.m.

Ending Councilmembers did not take a formal vote that night; instead the mayor and staff recorded a broad council consensus to advance interior‑range design work and continue the engineering, acoustical analysis and bid preparation. City staff said they will return with final construction bids and any items requiring further council direction before construction begins.