Homewood trustees on Tuesday, July 26, approved a feasibility study to determine whether the property at 1221 175th St. would meet the needs of the police department and ECOM dispatch center.
The measure authorizes Mayor Richard Hofeld to enter into a contract with Williams Architects of Itasca to complete the study for $93,103.
In a memo to the Board of Trustees, Public Works Director John Schaefer listed questions the study will attempt to address:
- Does the building have sufficient space for the police department in its current size and for future expansion?
- Would the second floor of the building accommodate the ECOM dispatch center?
- Is there space for a building addition to include a sally port, detention area, and vehicle storage garage?
- Will the gun range be a separate structure on site or inside the proposed building addition(s)?
- What structural improvements are required to renovate an office building into a state-of-the-art police station to serve the village for the next 50 or more years?
- Is there enough area for parking and site circulation?
- What is the cost of the proposed renovations and additions?
- What will the current police station be used for if the police department is relocated?
- If the existing building would not accommodate the police department and ECOM, or the cost to renovate is prohibitive, what is the cost to tear down the building and build a new facility?
The police department is currently located at 17950 Dixie Highway, and the ECOM dispatch center is located at 1154 Ridge Road. Homewood police and fire departments share a building north of village hall that was completed in 1968. Prior to that, both departments operated from village hall.
In other business, trustees approved:
- A special use permit for Simply Massage the Wellness Center LLC to operate a salon/spa establishment at 18036 Gottschalk Ave.
- An intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to purchase a portion of 174th Street. The village plans to sell the section to Wind Creek Illinois, which will be developing a casino adjacent to 174th Street.
- A budget amendment of $13,000 and a $37,419 contract with Stanard & Associates Inc. of Chicago to provide testing services for police and fire hiring and promotion lists.
- Renewal of a Class 6b Cook County tax classification for Prairie Properties at 17730 Hoffman Way.
- An ordinance amending the zoning code to allow the operation of a veterinary clinic in the B-4 Shopping Center District as a special use and a special use permit for Petco to develop a veterinary clinic in its store at 17930 Halsted St.
- Authorizing the purchase of a new ambulance for $380,000 to replace a 2015 model. The cost will be included in the village’s 2023 capital improvements general obligation bond sale.
An amendment to the zoning ordinance that would equalize treatment of religious and non-religious public assemblies was deferred to a future meeting.
