The new Hugh Nichols Public Safety Building opened for business on Monday, January 23, 2012. This state of the art building will house about 150 members of the Nampa Police Department, the administrative staff of the Nampa Fire Department, and the Nampa Information Technology Department.
The previous Nampa Police Station was originally built in 1977 and remodeled to approximately 22,000 square feet in 1997. Nampa grew at an incredible rate and the number of police employees more than doubled between 1999 and 2007. The old station became critically overcrowded and parking for police and employee vehicles was a serious issue. Vehicles parked in an unsecured lot were vandalized and safety and security became an issue. Additionally, many specialty vehicles had to be stored at alternate locations throughout the city.
The new 63,000 square foot station was designed by Lombard-Conrad Architects and built by ESI Construction. The project began in September of 2010 and took 18 months to complete. Initial cost estimates were approximately $18 million. Well thought out planning and frugal spending by the Nampa Development Corporation, City of Nampa Owner’s Representative Ken Fisher, and Nampa Police Project Manager Brad Daniels brought the final building cost in below $15 million.
The building was constructed for the present as well as the future. A few key features include the following:
1. Planning and construction included green building technologies. The HNPSB is certified as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver building.
2. The building is heated by taking water from the 72 wells on the property, running them through a pump system, and returning it as ground water 2 degrees cooler than when received.
3. The Evidence section is an expanded secure location to store the more than 25,000 pieces of evidence we maintain with room for increased volume as needed.
4. The secure vehicle storage area provides ample parking space as well as security for police and employee vehicles.
We now have the ability to store all specialty vehicles at one central location.
5. Our employees now have ample workspace and increased natural light. Prior to this, desks in many work sections were butted up against each other due to a lack of space.
6.There is increased convenience for the public needing access to police and fire administrative services.
The laboratory/evidence section designed for future expansion to include potential DNA testing.
We plan to have a dedication ceremony sometime this spring. Our goal is to offer public tours at that time to let the community get a look at this exceptional facility. It is truly something that our citizens can be proud of.
On a separate note, we have been very fortunate with a fairly mild winter so far this year. On the few occasions we saw snow, we also saw a large volume of vehicle crashes. With several more weeks of “winter” ahead of us, I would ask that you pay extra attention to your driving. Snowy, rainy, and frosty conditions can make for treacherous driving conditions. Give yourself some additional time when driving. Slow down and pay attention to traffic around you. We want everyone to arrive safely at their destinations.
Best wishes,
LeRoy Forsman Nampa Chief of Police
