The men and women of our police and fire departments work hard every day to keep our city safe. The Better Denver Program will improve our public safety infrastructure and fund several essential projects that will help our police and fire services to be even more effective.
The Schematic Design phase is underway for the new Denver Police Crime Lab which will provide state-of-the-art criminal investigation facilities. A public meeting was held in October 2009 to present information about the project, and to get neighborhood and stakeholder input. The overall bond funding for the project is $36 million. The Crime Lab will be located on the southeast corner of Delaware Street and W. 14th Avenue in Denver (
see site location map).
Fire Station Renovations
Five fire stations are part of the Bond Program renovations, including station 6, 11, 23, 24 and 25, serving the Baker, Harvey, Athmar and University Park neighborhoods. Those stations, and needed upgrades were identified though a Fire Facilities Master Plan done in 2003.
Fire Station 24
Exterior renovation in progress |
The renovations will be done as phased construction, such that a few of the stations will be worked on at a time. Station 6 and Station 23 will be worked on first, followed by Station 11, 24 and 25. Work has already begun on the exterior renovations, and is anticipated to be complete before the end of 2009. That work includes new roofs at some locations, new windows and new concrete. A few unique issues are being addressed at certain stations, such as the need for a sewer line replacement at Fire Station 24, which had frequent sewer problems. That work is being done over the summer of 2009. The interior work is scheduled for fall 2009, with completion targeted for the end of the year. Fire crews will be temporarily relocated for about two months as stations are being renovated.
Renovations are being done using GreenPrint Denver guidelines which attempt to incorporate environmentally sustainable and efficient features, where possible. Generally the station renovations include items from the list below which will be done at most, but not necessarily all locations:
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Roof – energy efficient - R30 insulation being done at some stations
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Exterior walls
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Windows – energy efficient
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Doors
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Concrete – using 20% fly ash, a recycled material, as well as recycling the old concrete.
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HVAC – including new radiant heaters at all 5 of the stations which are more efficient and more effective in dispersing heat thru the room than the old ceiling vent unit heaters. Also new swamp coolers being installed to replace the less efficient window-mounted air conditioning units
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Plumbing – low flow plumbing fixtures (toilets, sinks, showers)
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Electrical – including energy efficient lighting, and new electrical panels where needed
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Interior floors
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Ceiling /Interior Walls
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Kitchen – including appliances, flooring, countertops and cabinets
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Dispatch – including traffic signalization override switch
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Hose Tower, where needed
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Storage Lockers
| Improvement Projects |
| Project Name |
Bond Amount |
Description |
|
Fire Station Renovations
|
$6,210,000
|
Renovations at Stations #6, 11, 23, 24, 25 as identified in the Fire Facility Master Plan to the extent of funding. |
| New Construction Projects |
| Project Name |
Bond Amount |
Description |
Replacement of Police Crime Lab
|
$39,330,000
|
Replace the existing Crime Lab with a new facility . The new lab will be constructed on the existing surface parking lot adjacent to the Pre-Arraignment Detention Facility (PADF) and the Police Administration Building. |
Police Traffic Operations Facility and Firing Range
|
$13,455,000
|
Replace the existing Police Traffic Operations Facility and Firing Range, now located at the Decatur Facility to the Park Avenue West location. |
New Fire Station at Lowry
|
$6,200,000
|
Build a new fire station at the southern end of Lowry to meet response times for both Windsor Gardens and the Breaker’s complex as well as provide back-up on the east side of Denver. |