Dirt moves on Elburn village hall/police station expansion

Construction has begun on the Elburn Village Hall/police station expansion after a groundbreaking ceremony May 13.

The project – or variations of it – has been a long time in the making. The current building, constructed in 1992, served Elburn when its population was 1,275. When a facility needs analysis was done in 2008, it indicated the need for a larger, more modern building at a cost (in 2008 dollars) of $24.35 million. The economic downturn put that on hold for several years.

When a referendum for a downsized police station recommended by a citizen’s task force failed in 2023, the village began to look for other funding options, eventually deciding to implement a 2% places for eating tax on prepared food and beverages to help pay for the new facility.

The Elburn Village Board in 2024 made the call to expand the Village Hall/police station instead of building a new facility and authorized an issuance of $6 million in general obligation funds for the project.

The village contracted with Dewberry Architects, Harbour Contractors and Engineering Enterprises to work on the building, which is scheduled to be completed in April 2026.

“This expansion marks a significant step forward for our village, ensuring that our local government and our police department have the resources needed to serve our residents effectively and efficiently,” Village President Jeff Walter said. “We are excited to provide a facility that reflects our dedication to safety, efficiency and community engagement. We are proud to partner with Dewberry Architects and Harbour Contractors, Inc. to complete this project on time and within budget.”

Although the footprint of the expansion has been reduced from the plan for a whole new building, Walter said the village still was able to keep most of the items on the police department’s wish list. There is a holding area that soon will be certified by the Department of Corrections and there will be secure fenced-in parking for the police cars behind the building. Although there is not a separate garage, there will be a covered parking area from which detainees can safely be brought into the building through a sally port.

There will be a separate evidence store room, a room to safely secure weapons and ammunition and a secure interview room. There also will be male and female locker rooms with showers.

Walter said several adjustments were made to the design in order to stay within budget. One of the higher priorities was an expansion to the Village Board’s room, which Walter had hoped would allow more room for members of the public to attend board meetings comfortably. He said there’s still a possibility to make that happen if other items come out favorably in the budget.

The police department consists of 12 full-time officers, six part-time officers, two full-time and one part-time records staff and two part-time community service officers, according to village documents.

With recent developments such as Elburn Station, Fox Pointe, Williams Ridge and others, Elburn is expected to exceed a population of 8,500 by the year 2030. The expanded facility should be able to serve the village for the next 20 years, given that population growth remains steady, Walter said.