A new locker room area, training space, larger lunchroom and outdoor patio are planned as part of major renovation of the Kent Police Department headquarters.

The Kent City Council approved a $192,974 contract with Seattle-based Studio Meng Strazzara Inc. on Aug. 18 to design the project. The headquarters, 232 Fourth Ave. S., sits just south of City Hall. The design work will be paid for out of the city’s capital facilities fund.

“It will add about 500 square feet to the footprint of the building,” said Nate Harper, city capital facilities project manager, in a Aug. 11 remote presentation at the council’s Committee of the Whole meeting. “We will expand the lunchroom, create a new outdoor space, modify the existing locker room to create training space and make changes to the existing second-floor storage space for new locker space.”

Upon completion, it is envisioned that the renovations to the building and outdoor space will contain updated equipment, materials and design that meet the needs of staff assigned to the building, according to city documents.

Once Studio Meng Strazzara completes its work, the city will put the project out to bid in early 2021.

“We are looking after the first of the year to go into the bidding process,” Harper said in response to a question from Council President Toni Troutner about a timeline for the project. “From there it takes up to 90 days (to get bids) and move forward with a contractor, so it will be the middle of next year before we get going on (construction).”

City staff didn’t have a construction cost estimate.

“We don’t know the construction number for the police renovation yet,” said Alex Ackley, city facilities superintendent, in an Aug. 25 email. “It would be premature to just throw out a number.”

Ackley said he should have an estimated cost in a couple of months.

The work details include adding about 400 square feet to the existing lunchroom with a new or modified HVAC system, plumbing, stoves and dishwasher. The outdoor area will be about 300 square feet and feature a barbecue, landscaping and fencing.

The locker room conversion will include new flooring, lighting, HVAC, plumbing, wall finishes and fitness equipment. The storage space conversion will include new flooring, lighting, lockers, wall finishes, HVAC and plumbing.

Studio Meng Strazzara is the same architectural firm hired by developers of the Ethos Apartments on West Meeker Street at the former city-owned Riverbend par 3 golf course, the Midtown 64 Apartments going up at 64th Avenue South and West Meeker, and The Platform Apartments downtown at Fourth Avenue and West Smith Street.

“We feel Studio Meng Strazzara is the best candidate and recommend moving forward with them,” Harper said.

The city received seven proposals from architectural firms, interviewed the top three finalists and selected Studio Meng Strazzara “after very careful vetting,” according to city documents.

Prior proposals failed

This marks the third time in the last six years that city officials have moved forward proposals to replace or renovate the police headquarters.

Voters turned down a 2014 property tax measure to raise $34 million to rebuild the police station at its current site, which was last remodeled in 1991 to handle 75 officers. The police department has about 160 officers. The council would have spent the money to replace the 19,000-square-foot facility with a two-story, 48,000-square-foot building.

After that measure failed, the council spent $205,464 on consultants for a City Hall remodel study from 2015 to 2017 that included moving the Council Chambers to the city’s Centennial Center across from City Hall as well as renovations and expansion of the police station. But the council dropped those plans because of anticipated costs and other budget issues. Seattle-based ARC Architects estimated the remodel would cost $33 million. City leaders never came up with a plan about how to fund the remodel.

In 2019, the council approved a $7,500 contract with Seattle-based Broderick Architects to help design the renovation of Council Chambers at City Hall. A $162,000 renovation of the chambers was completed in 2019 with new seating and carpet. Crews also replaced the worn and missing sound panels behind the dais, and updated the dais and podium with modern finishes.