New police HQ in Lewisboro projected to cost $8.49 million

By NEAL RENTZ

The Lewisboro Town Board was presented with details of the proposed new police headquarters on Spring Street on Oct. 5. The estimated cost is $8.49 million.

The one-story building, with a 4,000-square-foot footprint, would have an attic and a walk-out basement with a garage bay.

Architect Erik Kaeyer, principal at KG+D Architects, told the Town Board that last year his firm worked for three months with town and police department leadership on a proposed new headquarters and potential locations for the new building. 

For the past few years, the police department has been housed in trailers on the campus of the former Lewisboro Elementary School through a rental agreement with the Katonah-Lewisboro School District. 

A rendering of the proposed Lewisboro Police Department headquarters. TOWN OF LEWISBORO RENDERING

The new headquarters would be built at 81 Spring St., which is home to the Public Works building and offices for the state police. The site was chosen because of the property’s “accessibility for the police and ease to get to Route 35, adjacent to the downtown area,” Kaeyer said, noting the land is owned by the town. 

The location was recommended by a town task force, which met prior to the town’s hiring of KG+D, Supervisor Tony Gonçalves said.

Kaeyer said the project is currently at the design development level. There is work being done to address site issues and his firm has been working with an independent cost estimator, Kaeyer said. 

The building’s features would include a secured parking lot for private and town-owned vehicles; optional solar canopied parking spaces; public parking and main level direct access to the building using the commuter parking lot; a new septic system, well and stormwater management; an optional outdoor terrace for training and general use; and an optional well field for geothermal for the structure’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning, Kaeyer said. Geothermal would be eligible for state grants, Kaeyer said. Gonçalves said it might be eligible for federal financial credits.

Kaeyer said the building would include offices and amenities for the police force; multiple layers of security for the building; locker rooms and overnight sleeping accommodations; a multi-purpose room for the Office of Emergency Management and training and daily use; evidence, police equipment and general storage space; and interview and suspect holding rooms.

Kaeyer broke down the potential cost of the new building. The $7.35 million hard construction costs would include work on the new building ($5.44 million), site work ($1.42 million) and a construction contingency fund of $490,000.

Other costs that have been projected by KG+D are soft costs, such as fees, permitting, testing and third-party inspections, that would be $840,000 and “fit-out costs,” such as furniture, technology and security, which would be $300,000, Kaeyer said. 

Optional elements of the project, including a geothermal HVAC system (assuming there would be 40% in federal credits), a solar canopy for vehicles, a stone terrace and a wall, would cost an additional $500,000, Kaeyer said. 

“This building’s not fully designed and we’re not out to bid today,” Kaeyer stressed. 

If construction began in spring 2027, the building could be completed by spring 2028, Kaeyer said.

Gonçalves discussed the costs associated with the project if it was paid through borrowing. A bond for the new police headquarters would be paid off in a period of between 35 and 40 years.

The board will be provided with a cost analysis of the project based on different interest rates, with data on the existing borrowing by the town, including when particular bonds will be paid off, Gonçalves said. 

Jan Johannessen, a principal with KSCJ Consulting, who worked on the septic system design and will be working on the site plan, said the Westchester County Department of Health recently approved the project’s new well and septic system.

His firm submitted an application to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation because part of the project would be located in a portion of a DEC wetland buffer and the agency said it will issue a permit once it receives the fee from his company, Johannessen told the Town Board. 

The company is still seeking New York City Department of Environmental Protection approval for the stormwater management plan, Johannessen said. 

“We’re working through some comments,” he said. “They may need to do some additional soil testing.” 

The Town Board voted unanimously to declare itself as the lead agency for the project’s environmental review.