The St. Charles City Council voted Tuesday (Sept. 5, 2017) to build a new $21.5 million police facility on vacant Valley Shopping Center property on the city’s west side.

The city will purchase about 6.5 acres along the south side of the former Valley Shopping Center, 1605 W. Main St., for $714,765. Officials said the chosen site meets all the criteria needed for a modern police facility and is expected to accommodate the city’s police operations for the next 50 years.

Valley Shopping Center is located at1605 W. Main St. in St. Charles. (CREDIT: Google Maps)

“Locating our new police station at the Valley Shopping Center site provides our community with police services that are quite visible, easily accessible, and centrally located,” said St. Charles Mayor Ray Rogina. “It also allows the city to rehabilitate a depressed property for a greater common good.”

Locations for the facility had been under review for about two years. The Valley Shopping Center was one of the original sites under consideration, but until recently, the site was under contract with another buyer, officials said.

Until the Valley Shopping Center site became available, the city was looking at placing the new facility on city-owned property at IL Route 31 and Red Gate Road. At this time, there are no immediate plans for the land at Route 31, officials said.

Recognizing several deficiencies with the current facility, in 2015 the City Council directed the police and public works staffs to review the structure, site, and operational needs of the Police Department. The results showed replacing the current aging facility with a newly built structure on an alternate site was the best long-term option.

Funding for the new facility will come from both city funds and a 20-year bond issue. It will take two to three years to design and build the new police station.

SOURCE: city of St. Charles news release

Presently, the St. Charles Police Department is located at 211 N Riverside Ave. (CREDIT: Google Maps)