Overview

Nassau County’s eight police precinct buildings were primarily constructed in the late 1950s and were undersized, outdated, and in poor condition. LiRo was selected to provide initial condition assessment surveys of all eight county precincts, develop programming to meet current policing standards, design a schematic prototype, and develop complete sets of design and construction documents for the County.

About the Project

The first facility to be designed was the 25,000 sf First Police Precinct, which became a prototype for additional precinct facilities. LiRo was requested to adapt this prototype design to the proposed sites of the Fourth, Seventh and Eighth Precincts.

Fourth Police Precinct

This new station house is a 25,000 sf structure consisting of two stories of 10,000 sf, each designed to meet current and future police operations, plus a roof penthouse of approximately 5,000 sf for mechanical equipment, telecommunications room, and police record storage. The first-floor elevation of the new station house is above the flood plain at 19 ft above mean sea level. The structure of the new station house is entirely of precast concrete supported by a poured-in-place reinforced concrete spread footing foundation. The roof penthouse is supported by steel framing clad with insulated metal wall panels.

Seventh Police Precinct

The new Seventh Police Precinct more than doubled the size of the existing building, accommodating a larger police force with desk space, modern IT infrastructure, equipment storage, and locker rooms. Areas that serve the public were clearly separated from areas where detainees are processed and where security features meet current policing standards.

Eighth Police Precinct

For the new Eighth Precinct, LiRo created a new design for a much larger building at 30,600 sf. In addition to community policing functions, this building houses the major crimes detective units such as Robbery and Special Investigations that serve all of Nassau County. Advanced electronics facilities serve both the Nassau County police and visiting agencies such as the FBI.

Project Challenges & Solutions

A unique challenge when working from one prototype for multiple precincts was adapting that prototype for each site’s needs, settings, etc., which required creative thinking by the LiRo team. Additionally, adjusting the design to respond to changing threats to law enforcement was important to ensure the facilities fully meet each precinct’s changing needs.

Outcome

The resulting precincts are state-of-the-art facilities with more engaging buildings, creating a base for law enforcement to help build a safer community. They also mean increased resiliency for emergency services.