ST. CHARLES – The American Public Works Association has selected the new St. Charles police station project as a public works project of the year in the $5 million to $25 million structures category.

This award promotes excellence in project management, safety, community relations, environmental impact and construction innovation.

“The success of this project is the direct result of the hard work and dedication of the entire project team,” St. Charles Public Works Director Peter Suhr said in a news release from the city of St. Charles.

In September, the department's new $24.6 million state-of-the-art police station at 1515 W. Main St. opened for business. The new 56,000-square-foot station replaces the department's former quarters at 211 N. Riverside Ave., portions of which date back almost 100 years.

“Now St. Charles has a modern, efficient police facility the entire community will benefit from for generations to come," St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan said in the release.

Some of the building's features include a sophisticated evidence room with bar-coding system, advanced lock-up facility and a secured area for attorneys to speak with suspects in custody, attached squad car garage, training room, wellness center and community room for public use.

In July 2018, work started on razing the former Valley Shopping Center to make way for the new police station. Metal and bricks from demolished buildings formerly on the site were salvaged and repurposed.

The station is expected to serve the city's needs for 50 years. Oak Brook-based FGM Architects, which has designed other police stations in the Chicago area, designed the new station. The department wanted the building to reflect a more efficient use of space

The American Public Works Association is a not-for-profit, international organization of more than 30,000 members involved in all aspects of public works.