In May of 2017, the residents of Salem passed a bond measure to finance the development of a public safety facility where the Salem Police Department can conduct business efficiently and safely. The site selected for the new facility is on the corner of Commercial and Division streets NE, formally the location of the O’Brien Auto Group. Site demolition ended in April 2018 and construction started in the fall of 2018. The project was completed on October 10, 2020. Commissioning of the building is expected in the fall of 2021.

Opportunities to Provide Input

Design

More that 1,400 responses were received for the police station design survey. Respondents' ideas and comments contributed to the design concepts presented at the March 21, 2018 town hall meeting. The results of the survey are available for review.

In May and June 2018, project team members visited ten Salem neighborhood associations and gathered additional citizen input on the site design and surrounding campus.

On July 25, 2018, the project design team hosted another town hall to reveal the final floor plans and campus layout. Residents provided additional input about the community space and public art for the project.

Public Art Project

As a publicly-funded project, the new Salem Police Station will have an art piece on the campus. The concept by artist Blessing Hancock was chosen to join the more than 150 public artworks throughout the city. Community engagement is an essential component of the piece titled Equitas. The surface pattern of the lighted sculpture will incorporate text from the Salem community relating to the themes of honor, protection, and service. Through public events and an online submission form, residents and employees had the opportunity to contribute their suggestions for the sculpture.

Project Schedule

The project schedule will show the various phases of design and construction as this multi-year venture progresses.

• February 2018 - Site and building design phase initiated.
• February 26, 2018 - Demolition and hazmat abatement started.
• April 30, 2018 - Demolition and hazmat abatement completed.
• May-August 2018 - Preparations for site construction which begins fall 2018.
• September 2018 - Archeological excavation as part of the groundwork before site construction began. Archeology Day, September 10.
• November 2018 - The public is invited to the official groundbreaking ceremony on November 9.
• January 15-27, 2019 - Archaeological artifacts discovered at the project site on display at the Salem Public Library.
• January 2019 - Construction phase begins and will continue through September 2020.
• April 2019 - Site and building design phases completed.
• October 2020 - Construction phase completed and ribbon-cutting ceremony occured.
• November 2020 - Staff move-in and in-person services started

Keeping Up with the Project

Project information was posted online and shared using social media to keep the community in the loop and involved. In February 2018, the Salem Police Department hosted a monthly video update posted to the City of Salem website and Salem Police’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts. The hashtag #BuildingBuzz was used to periodically to post facts and tidbits with residents about their new police station.

#BuildingBuzz Videos

To access the entire list of episodes, select the playlist icon in the upper left corner of the video window.

Project Cams

To help residents keep up with the project's progress, live web cam feeds showed the building under construction as shown in the images below.

Background

In 1972, 108 officers moved into their new offices on the first floor of Salem City Hall. Today, 45 years later, the space is inadequate for 190 officers and 53 civilian staff. The new facility will meet current seismic standards required of a new police station to remain operable during natural disasters. The new building will also allow the department to function more efficiently by bringing together many important police functions that are currently located off-site in separate and leased buildings.

CB | Two Architects, a local firm, was selected as the lead architect consultant team on this project. They have partnered with DLR Group, police design specialists, who have completed over 80 justice facilities across the country.

The Salem City Council formed a council sub-committee to meet monthly with the core team to receive updates and provide input and guidance.

Deputy Chief Steve Bellshaw, the police department’s point person on the project, said, “We are grateful to the Salem residents for their support. It is a large project, yet we are committed to meet the requirements of our timetable and to build a building the community will be proud of.”

For more information about the Salem Police Department and its public safety services, visit our department home page or follow Salem Police on the standard social media channels.

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