Updated Wednesday with audio from Winfield Police Chief Robbie DeLong
The City of Winfield approved a bid from Dondlinger Construction Monday night for the long-planned police station and shared training facility.
The City Commission awarded the bid to Dondlinger Construction out of Wichita in the amount of $7,597,000, according to the city. Two other bids were received for the project. All bids were below the engineer’s estimate.
The project is the final phase in a three-phase project aimed at improving the community’s public safety facilities. The previous phases included an apparatus bay addition to the existing fire-ems station and the renovation of the existing fire-ems station.
The projects were approved by a sales tax referendum in 2019 with 89% voter approval.
“The building design is very functional and based on best practices we saw at work in several other communities,” Winfield City Manager Taggart Wall told Cowley Post Tuesday. “It meets the needs of the community today, but also looks to the future with the flexibility of the spaces.
“The work that the police employees and engineering staff put in on the design with the architects was reflected in the bids received. The spread of the bids was six percent and that’s a testament to really thoughtful design planning.”
Wall said a new police station has long been discussed.
“Initial conversations on updating police facilities in Winfield go back almost two decades, probably more,” he said. “Nearly 10 years ago, those plans got more serious and the community came out in 2019 to show overwhelming support for these improvements.
“We appreciate the public’s trust and look forward to putting these dollars to use in a very functional way that improves the public safety services we provide each and every day.”
The new police station/shared training facility will be 17,000 square feet and attached to the recently constructed fire-ems apparatus bays, on the site of the former Winfield Middle School. The new construction will include police offices, interview space, armory, evidence storage, records, fitness area, and a large meeting space.
The meeting space will be used for trainings, emergency operations, municipal court functions, and City Commission meetings.
The future of the current police building is undetermined, the city says.
A small courtyard green space will be created south of the new building and will house a time capsule constructed and donated by Galaxy Technologies to the Winfield Police Department.
The City worked with Agora Architecture of Winfield on the design of the facility.
The design continues the use of limestone façade and features a clearstory entryway. The interior of the building will give a nod to the past with the use of historic jail bars that were uncovered during the renovation at the fire-ems station which was formerly home to the City Jail.
The police station layout uses open space concepts to encourage collaboration within the police facility.
The project is expected to be completed early 2025.
