Could New Canaan police HQ become senior housing?

NEW CANAAN — As the town considers four town-owned sites for the new police headquarters, the First Selectman Kevin Moynihan suggested Tuesday that the present police station could become senior housing.

The town is considering sites in addition to the ball field next to Saxe Middle school for the new police headquarters, after a building rendering was presented by architect Kaestle Boos at a joint meeting of the Town Council and Board of Finance. Architect Eric Rossi still called the ball field the “top spot.”

Three overarching options are simultaneously being explored to update or replace the 1926 police building, including constructing a new facility on a different parcel of town-owned land, renovating the present structure or demolishing the old facility and building new on the present location at 174 South Ave.

If the police headquarters is moved, the old building could be converted into moderate-income senior housing, Moynihan told the Advisory Committee on Building and Infrastructure Tuesday. “I personally think we still need senior housing in town.”

Brian Humes of Jacunski Humes Architects, who is looking at the options for the present site, said the police building can be renovated for other purposes including senior housing.

The first selectman said he has already spoke with a developer who has constructed other senior housing options as well as the local Housing Authority about the feasibility of this idea. Moynihan could not be immediately reached for comment on the identity of the developer.

The sale of the present police station could fetch somewhere in the range of $6 million to $10 million after the police move to the new location, Moynihan has said at previous meetings.

The estimates for the police station project range from $14.7 million to $29 million, according to presentations made by the two architects in the joint meeting. All estimates assume the police will have their own pistol range, which Moynihan said Tuesday may not be the case.

Architect Kaestle Boos has estimated it would cost $23.5 million to build the station on the ball field.

The ball field has been a controversial location for the new police department. Selectman Nick Williams has already voiced objections, calling it a “gallactically stupid” idea.

Boos is expected to create site renderings of the building sitting on the lumberyard parking lot near the train station, the Locust Avenue parking lot and the mulch dump located across from Waveny Park, Moynihan said at the meeting.

However, the architects will not be doing those renderings quite yet, Moynihan said Tuesday.

If parking lots are used, cost estimates for a tiered structure to replace parking spaces will be included, the first selectman told the committee.

The police made it clear they want a new or updated facility since the present headquarters was retrofitted from a school in 1981 and lacks space for modern law enforcement needs. Forty years ago, town officials did not foresee the need for lockers for female officers, a simulated training area and ample space for computer equipment, police officials said.

The new sites were chosen from a pool of 13 initial sites chosen after discussions by “all relevant employees,” whose “mission was to advise Kaestle Boos,” Moynihan said. Of the more than a dozen sites considered there were “throw aways” such as using the lots under the Vine Cottage and the old Red Cross.

Councilman Penny Young said it is important “to underscore that there is going to be continued study on this” to assure “the community when we make decisions like this, we really do look at all kinds of options.”

In addition, town officials say they are “still open to someone coming in and saying they will sell their property,” for the project.

More discussions on the site location will take place after new members of town board are seated after elections on Nov. 2.

Prior preliminary designs have included a pistol range, but the first selectman is in discussions with other towns and will “more than likely put forth plans to share a pistol range with another town or two other towns,” Moynihan told his advisory committee. He did not disclose which other municipalities.

He had started talks about sharing a range about a year ago. He had a meeting last week on the matter and is planning on having another next week, he said.

Half of all police departments do not have a pistol range at the facility, according to Humes.

The most expensive option for the new building would be to construct a 30,000-square-foot facility in the present location, which would cost from $26.3 to $29.3 million, according to Humes’ estimates. Humes previously gave two scenarios for renovating the present station, saying it would cost $14.7 to $16.4 million to renovate the existing building while occupied and $16.2 to $18 million to do the work while the building is vacated.

Moynihan serves as chairman of a seven-member committee that includes members of the Board of Finance and Town Council to share expertise and financial oversight on town-owned buildings and infrastructure projects.