$5.6mil new DPS police center

They talk of "reinvesting" in the community. Sure would have been nice if they had reinvested in one of the old school buildings they already own and aren't using any more for this purpose. Come to think of it, maybe DPS should follow in other district's footsteps and use an old school building for their entire office and admin headquarters. That would eliminate the rent they pay at the Fisher....or yeah, and I bet Cooley HS would look good as a district admin campus, too.


January 21. 2011 1:00AM
DPS unveils $5.6M police center

Jennifer Chambers / The Detroit News

Detroit — A $5.6 million police command center that provides 24-hour monitoring at Detroit Public School facilities is about safety and reinvesting in the community, public officials said Thursday at a ceremonial opening.

Surrounded by law enforcement officers from across the region, district officials unveiled the new headquarters for the DPS police department, a 23,000-square-foot facility on the city's north end that will be the base for security operations for the district, which serves 74,000 students and about 5,500 teachers.


Built in six months, the facility near Interstate 75 and Clay Avenue is part of a $41.7 million district-wide security initiative to improve safety. Officials hope it will anchor redevelopment in the area, where abandoned homes and businesses line nearby streets.

The station has a command post where staffers will monitor campuses 24-hours-a-day using live-feed surveillance from digital cameras and alarms on school grounds. Inside the command room, eight 52-inch LCD screens monitor scores of hallways, parking lots and rooms in multiple buildings across the district.

Officials said 80 of the district's 144 buildings were online, with the others being monitored at the old DPS police station on Woodward.

In the next three weeks, all 144 buildings will be online at the new center and under surveillance, DPS police Chief Ron Grimes said.

The security system will allow officers to respond quicker in crisis situations, Grimes said.

Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb said the project is part of the district's $500.5 million capital improvement program approved by voters in 2009.

"This is much more about public safety. This is about redevelopment and reinvesting in a community," Bobb said. "This is about … ensuring school settings are safe and secure to learn in."

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade attended the event, saying the new building and its amenities are an example of all that is right in Detroit. They also send a message, she said.

"Anyone who dares steal from our children's school will have a heavy price to pay," McQuade said.

The new facility includes five holding cells for juveniles, three K-9 kennels, a 70-seat officer roll-call room and four interview rooms.

jchambers@detnews.com


From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110121/...#ixzz1BhAfi11j

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Originally Posted by Rocko

They talk of "reinvesting" in the community. Sure would have been nice if they had reinvested in one of the old school buildings they already own and aren't using any more for this purpose. Come to think of it, maybe DPS should follow in other district's footsteps and use an old school building for their entire office and admin headquarters. That would eliminate the rent they pay at the Fisher....or yeah, and I bet Cooley HS would look good as a district admin campus, too.

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Exactly! But you know...you can't have them housed in them old buildings! They're outdated and couldn't possibly be retrofitted :p

Even if only a few million dollars of public money were put into rehab, as opposed to demolition and new construction, it would have a feeder effect, stimulating our almost nonexistent rehab industries. What's the track record on that? Has any unit of Detroit government opted to rehab an existing building?

You would be asking the City Of Detroit to think and plan. Oh yeah, and ask for citizen input. Ain't going to happen.

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Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

Oh yeah, and ask for citizen input. Ain't going to happen.

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Given the stupid charades of the "call em out coalition" and their grape throwing ways, would you really want citizen input?

I just had to get this out:

Buildings that should NEVER be retrofitted / renovated for same function activities

WHAT:
- Hospitals
- Fire Stations
- Police Headquarters / command centers

WHY:
- Hospitals are ever changing to keep up with technology and patient demands. Very few large successful hospitals operate solely in their original early 20th century buildings. Many have evolved into campuses and the original structures have been converted to other purposes [[such as administrative offices) or sold off to become assisted living

- Fire Stations now house much larger vehicles. The apparatus bay configurations have greatly changed as well. Many cities are at the moment working to replace every single fire station they have within the city limits. If Detroit isn't doing so already, this is a sign of trouble and I'm guessing stations are falling apart by now. But older fire stations have virtually limitless opportunities for conversion. Because of their high ceilings, large open front facades, and architectural character they can be more attractive real-estate than similar sized commercial buildings.

- Police, A service that protects the public needs to be in the most up to date, efficient facilities IMO. The warren of corridors and small offices that are characteristic of old police station headquarters and command centers are well behind modern standards. You could probably renovate a police precinct to make things work, but with an example like the current DPDHQ, I find it unlikely. Police stations are complicated work environments. They aren't like the typical office environment that many of us work in that tend to be more flexible.


Buildings that can be retrofitted / renovated for same function activities

WHAT:
Schools [[All Levels)
Laboratories and Research
Places of worship
Libraries
Cultural Institutions / Museums
Parks and Rec buildings
* Transportation facilities
Apartment Buildings
Single Family Homes
Walkups/Multi Level Flats
Dormitories
** Design compliant commercial storefronts
** Design compliant office lowrise, midrise, and highrise
Manufacturing and Warehouse structures


*Modern rolling stock may not be compatible with existing historic stations requiring demolition and reconstruction. Aviation structures may have to adapt to larger aircraft and new security requiring demolition of terminals.
** Building designs that are successful in creating sense of place and urban streetscapes. [[example: old 1890's commercial building with zero setback vs McDonalds surrounded by parking)


WHY
Reconfiguring program layouts, technology infrastructure modernization, and possibly building additions can give a second life carrying on the functions they were originally intended for.

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So basically, my position is this. You can renovate and restore just about everything and still carry on the same functions, except for a few building types which I have listed. As for those, a multitude of conversion opportunities exist.

Why someone would propose to perpetuate the life of a hospital or a police and fire station for another 50 years as a hospital, police, or fire station is beyond me. Nothing like proving your city's place in the world by showing "state of the art" public safety and medical buildings that are dated 1890!! Though other buildings' historical character provides valuable context for their functions [[like Grand Central Station) and could continue to operate for centuries.

Even if they are, cities and organizations aren't holding onto them because they think they are beautiful buildings to work in. rather lack of funding keeps them there. If they really cared, these buildings would be polished up and top-notch condition....which we know they aren't. But these buildings still have a place in our world.......as architectural artifacts