Renovation of a fire / police facility in Guilford, Connecticut. Conceptual plans call for the renovation of a fire / police facility.

The Guilford Police Department was constructed at the 400 Church Street site in 1996. Since that time, the capabilities of the department to provide exceptional service to the Guilford community have grown exponentially; however, the building requires improvements to match those growing capabilities and the ever-increasing needs of the Town. As with any building approaching 28 years in age, there are a number of projects required to maintain the good working order of the facility. The following will be an overview of proposed projects that the department is considering as part of this remodel/expansion project: Expansion of Sally Port: The existing sally port is two bays wide and each bay is sized to fit one patrol vehicle. One of the bays remains open in order to provide secure entry/exit for arrestees to our cell block. The other bay is filled with storage items for a variety of programs to include, but not limited to: car seats for our car seat installation program, K9 equipment, bicycles, vehicle service equipment, a motorcycle, light tower, etc. The sally port as it currently exists cannot fit an ambulance inside (a benefit for arrestee care). This proposed improvement would involve expanding the sally port to provide additional room for various vehicle types to gain secure access to the cell block. Additionally, an expanded secondary bay would be utilized to securely house our command post, multi-purpose vehicle, pickup truck, variable message sign, light tower, bicycles, etc. The police department has invested substantially in specialty vehicles, and it is desirable to protect those vehicles from inclement weather to extend their service life. Above both bays, a proposed second floor storage area would provide a means to clear a number of storage closets in the main building from low-frequency use items and allow for a more efficient means to store items for specialty assignments/services than the current setup. This project would be based on the growing needs of the department already articulated with a prior garage proposal presented to the Town a couple of years ago when the Fire Department and Police Department were seeking additional storage space. Relocation/Expansion of Women’s Locker Room: The current women’s locker room has a maximum capacity of 10 officers and the existing space does not provide flexibility for expanding the number of lockers or facilities available to serve an expanding presence of female officers within the department. It is a goal to increase the number of female officers in the department to better represent the Guilford community that we serve. This project would likely require the relocation of the women’s locker room within the existing structure, and the potential relocation of other rooms to make that space available. Roof Project and Solar Implementation: The roof at the police department has been leaking for several years and the project has been deferred a number of times. As the roof currently exists, we experience a number of issues in the winter with ice dams and associated leaks. The roof needs to be re-engineered to avoid this reoccurring issue. Additionally, there are a number of sidewalks immediately surrounding the building that would benefit from overhangs to reduce ice/snow build up and prevent injuries for personnel working in those conditions. As part of the roof project, there is also an opportunity for the Town to seek the addition of solar panels to the facility to help reduce our carbon footprint and bring stability to our utilities budget. The Police Department currently pays electric bills for the main headquarters, animal control building, and range building so it is believed that a solar project on the main building could be designed to cover the needs of those facilities. Window Replacements: There are a number of windows at the police department that have been rendered inoperable due to wood rot. Some windows have been replaced, but there is a need to update windows throughout the entire facility that can be accomplished with this project. Boilers/HVAC improvements: There will be a need to renovate the existing HVAC system with this project to accommodate physical changes to the building. Additionally, the Facilities Director has advised me that the two boilers currently in place have been due for replacement and should be included in this project. There are a number of smaller projects that can also be accomplished within this overall project to include a kitchen update, surveillance system expansion/enhancements, lobby area security update, and the relocation of a detective interview room to accommodate an additional meeting room to suit administrative needs. The department would also like to explore the expansion of the car port to accommodate more marked patrol vehicles in addition to the potential addition of an employee parking area where the HVAC equipment currently exists behind the building. As of February 27, 2026, this project is included in the City's 2026-2031 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Further information regarding a design firm has not yet been established. Construction is expected to last from mid-2026 - mid -2027. *This project receives automated updates from sources only and will not be actively tracked by our Content team. Information is provided as-is for planning awareness. Should you wish to provide information on this project or are seeking an update, please email contentcase@constructconnect.com.