The anticipated opening of Lake Forest’s new police headquarters has been delayed until December, partially due to slow deliveries of some construction materials and equipment.
City officials said the police station at 1925 Field Court in the Conway Park office complex is now expected to open in December, pushing back earlier projections for an opening earlier in the year.
After determining that the city’s public safety building at 255 W. Deerpath was no longer adequate for the police, the City Council approved the $3.5 million purchase in 2024 of a vacant, 98,000-square-foot office building. The city is converting the building into a standalone police headquarters.
In October, the City Council approved financing for the project’s $26 million renovation. Earlier this year, officials hoped the building could open in August or September. That timeline was later pushed back to October and has now been delayed until December.
Lake Forest Police Chief John Burke attributed the delay to the installation of fire and smoke-related equipment, as well as slower-than-expected deliveries of some construction materials.
“It’s like anybody having a construction project on their house,” he said. “It’s a rehab project as we are taking a building that was built in 2008 for office use, and we are converting it into a police department.
“Whenever you are converting something, according to the architects and contractors, this is fairly normal that you find things you didn’t expect in the building,” Burke added.
Burke said he expects the building to be substantially complete in November, but a series of punch-list items, including internal and external electronic connections, will still need to be completed before the department can move in.
Finance Director Katie Skibbe said the delay will not affect the overall cost of the project.
City Manager Jason Wicha said he was not disappointed by the revised timeline.
“The city had been pushing a pretty aggressive construction schedule with the understanding that projects of this magnitude can encounter minor delays or unforeseen issues,” he said. “We expected that, and it doesn’t affect police operations or, in the long run, the timing of us getting into the building in a material way.”
Once the police department relocates, the city plans to convert the existing public safety building on Deerpath into a facility dedicated solely to the fire department.
Wicha said engineering and architectural design work for the fire department renovation is ongoing and is expected to be completed within the next two to three months. Construction bids are expected to go out before the end of the year, and he anticipates the renovation will take about a year.
Skibbe said the city is using a preliminary estimate of approximately $12 million for the fire department renovation.
