Lake County Gazette

The city of Lake Forest is considering a $3.5 million investment in an office building at 1925 Field Court, earmarked as the potential site for its new police headquarters.

City Manager Jason Wicha, alongside Deputy Police Chiefs Mike Lange and Kevin Zelk, proposed to the city council that they approve the purchase of the property from DP West Lake at Conway, as revealed in the Lake Forest City Council agenda for its April 15 meeting. They also recommended entering into a contract with Concord Group to perform a comprehensive building and site assessment of the property. Additionally, another contract was suggested with FGM Architects to conduct a space needs analysis for a future police facility.

According to the same agenda, both the Lake Forest Police Department and Fire Department currently share their headquarters in a combined facility at 255 W. Deerpath. The building was constructed in the 1960s specifically for this purpose and continues to house personnel, vehicles, and equipment for both departments. However, adaptations made over time to meet evolving needs have only achieved limited success.

The same document also points out that fire stations need to be centrally located in neighborhoods and commercial areas to facilitate quick response times. On the other hand, police officers regularly patrol throughout the city, rendering a centralized location unnecessary. Therefore, relocating the police headquarters would provide more space for fire services within the existing building.

The office building under consideration in Conway Park is three stories tall and offers 98,304 square feet of space according to details provided in the April 15 meeting's agenda. Constructed in 2008, 1925 Field Court features an underground parking garage with 66 parking spaces which would ensure secure and safe access into the building.