Prior to constructing a new police headquarters, the Dover Police Department was operating out of a 9,000 square foot area in the basement of City Hall. To increase efficiency and address the long overdue need for a new facility, Harvey was hired to construct a new headquarters and parking garage for the city of Dover on the site of the previous municipal parking area. The parking garage was added to the project scope and project site to provide the City with the dual benefit of a downtown Police Station and a Public Parking Garage to serve the local business demand for premium downtown parking locations.
The parking garage was completed in November 2015 and features five levels. There are 312 public parking spaces and 35 police parking spaces. By building a garage, the City can now provide long-term parking and free up metered spaces along the streets and in downtown parking areas.
The three-story police headquarters was finished four months later, in March 2016. By more than tripling the size of the current facilities, the headquarters is more efficient, has the ability to house more departments, and creates a pleasant work environment for the employees. Featured in the new building are holding cells, two sally ports, and a workout room with space for defensive tactics training. Large lockers with electrical power for officers to store personal items as well as firearms were installed. Three refrigerated evidence lockers were added to the evidence process area, which is four times bigger than the previous lab. A number of offices and a state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center were also constructed. The new facilities provide enough space for the department to expand, most recently, opening up a cyber-crime division.
The job site was very tight and Harvey was tasked with working around open businesses, homes, and accommodating parking needs of shoppers. The building construction was very difficult, requiring the installation of steel sheeting for excavation support during construction. The building also required the installation of over 300 steel H piles in clay to support the building. All of this construction was completed on time and under budget. The construction setting was a heavily populated urban environment which required careful phasing and site logistics plans. Communication with the community was of paramount importance during this project; through regular weekly public project meetings onsite as well as a careful coordinated media effort with the City of Dover to get the word out on project developments, the communication was always flowing. Harvey rose to all of these challenges, and was approached by residents around the area in praise for their consideration to their daily lives. With the construction of a new police headquarters and parking garage, the City has positioned themselves to grow and develop with the changing times for years to come.