New Police Services Facility Process

Overview

The City of Fitchburg is in planning stages of a new police services facility. This page has been created to share information and updates about the process.

Currently, the Police Department occupies 1.5 levels of the City Hall building located at 5520 Lacy Road. Plans are moving forward to construct a standalone police services facility on a site at the intersection of Fish Hatchery Road and Lacy Road.

Space Needs Study

In 2014, the City of Fitchburg commenced an analytical study of future staffing and space needs for departments located at the City Hall building, including the Police Department.  The study analyzed space and staffing needs for a 5, 10 and 20-year horizon. 

The study identified that a standalone facility should be 60,240 square feet to adequately accommodate forecasted personnel and vehicles in 2020, 68,280 square feet* in 2025, and 78,874 in 2035. The current police department space is 17,783 square feet. By moving the police department to standalone facility, the 17,783 square feet  can be remodeled for the necessary expansion of other city departments located in the City Hall complex. 

Several immediate space needs were identified in the study, including:

  • Inadequate space for Evidence Storage, Secure Evidence Storage, Evidence Lab, Evidence Processing.
  •  Inadequate ventilation system in the Evidence Storage and Secure Evidence Storage.
  •  Inadequate space in the existing Armory.
  •  Need for office space; many offices are double-occupancy causing lack of privacy, lack of meeting space with staff,inability to work on sensitive projects, and disruption.
  • Need for additional conference rooms. One former Police Department Conference Room has already been converted to office space, causing police supervisory staff to use conference space elsewhere in City Hall.
  • Vehicle engines, electronics and equipment are exposed to climate extremes when not in use. Current indoor parking facilities are inadequate, especially during inclement weather, also causing excessive “idling.”Inadequate quantity of indoor parking.

Space Needs Study

*Gross Square Footage includes non-usable space

Benefits of a New Police Services Facility 

police facility_overview

Anticipated Timeline

  • April 2023: City Council approved FGM Architects as the firm for architectural and engineering services
  • June 2023: FGM Architects met with department representatives from various workgroups
  • July 2023: City Council approved construction management firm for project management

Police Facility Oversight Committee

An ad-hoc committee has been created for oversight of the police facility process. The city is comprised of elected officials, community members and department representatives. 

The first meeting is scheduled for July 24. Agendas can be found here.

Project Update to City Council

On August 22, an overview and update was presented to the Common Council. You can view a copy of the presentation here.

Updates

Sign up for project updates here