Approaching completion – a tour of the new FRPD headquarters

The main public entrance to the new FRPD headquarters is at right looking from Kendrick Lane near its intersection with Monroe Avenue. The brick façade covers the main building, the gray wall and façade surround the support building including an evidence garage. Photos/Roger Bianchini

As the Front Royal Town Council ponders how many additional millions of dollars its gamble on financing construction of a new town police headquarters through the New Market Tax Credit Program will cost – the figure is currently estimated at an additional $3 million to $4 million on top of the initially forecast $10.2-million cost – completion of the 21,000-plus square-foot facility at Monroe Avenue and Kendrick Lane approaches.

On January 9 Royal Examiner got a tour of the new FRPD headquarters tentatively slated for completion this March. On the tour was Police Chief Kahle Magalis, Major Kevin Nicewarner, Mayor Hollis Tharpe, Clerk of the Works Randy Atkins of JTS LLC and yours truly. As readers may recall, the new headquarters’ design totals 21,600 square feet in a two-building complex, with 14,600 s.f. comprising the main headquarters building.

An aerial drawing of the 2-building complex, parking lot and access way areas

FRPD has been primarily housed in the former Warren County Sheriff’s Office headquarters on Jackson Street since September 2013, most recently at a rental cost of over $4,000 a month the Town pays to Warren County. That move increased the department’s square footage from 4,032 s.f. to 7,236 s.f. However, the department quickly outgrew that space, with the Criminal Investigations Department moving into former town finance department space in the Comcast/Xfinity building on North Royal Avenue.

This report on the visit to the soon-to-be-completed town police headquarters was delayed by the writer’s unexpected detached retina surgery of January 11, suggested at a routine eye appointment of January 10. Prior to that unforeSEEN distraction to the reporter currently known as “Cyclops”, we asked Police Chief Magalis and Mayor Tharpe about the pending relocation of FRPD into a state-of-the-art facility that will reunite the entire department under one roof, hopefully for as many as 40 years into the future.

“Everybody is super excited to be moving into a purpose-built structure that’s designed to be used for the things that we’re out here doing every day. And it’s just going to make a huge difference to our department – it’s going to be great – and all under one roof, absolutely, it won’t happen soon enough,” Magalis said, capturing the enthusiasm running through his department.

Standing at the main, public entrance FRPD Chief Kahle Magalis says his department is ‘super excited’ to be approaching occupation of its new headquarters.

“As the mayor, I’m very excited that we’re moving forward and we’re almost at completion. And I’m sure that all our law enforcement will be a proud occupant here. And I think this is something that all the citizens of the town are going to be proud of because it’s going to belong to the citizens,” Tharpe added from the town hall side of the equation.

The mayor noted that this is the first new town government from-the-ground-up construction project since 1935, when the old town hall was built during the “New Deal” of the FDR Administration. The New Deal was designed to help pull America out of the Great Depression through federal job creation and economic stimulus in communities across the nation.

The police chief and mayor discuss work at the courtyard between the main and support buildings.

“And something special to me is that this my neighborhood that I grew up in and still partake in. It’s right down below Tharpe subdivision – Tharpe subdivision is 15th Street down that-a-way,” the mayor said gesturing north of the FRPD site on Monroe Avenue at Kendrick Lane.

Asked if he wanted to add to the conversation, Major Nicewarner said, “The chief is our spokesperson,” adding with a smile, “I’m just behind the scenes making sure things get done.”

Chief Magalis, right, at the door to his new office – Major Nicewarner’s is just down the administrative hall.

And getting done they are – despite the loss of over 50 days to weather last year, primarily the record-setting rains of 2018. Town Manager Joe Waltz told Royal Examiner the week of the tour that while substantial and final completion dates are still weather dependent and materials delivery issues continue, that with a little luck one, if not both completion dates could occur at some point in March as spring approaches.

Approaching the main entrance from Monroe Ave. side

The north, rear side of the main building inside the secured area

Support building at west end fronting secure parking area at west end of facility

Walled-in parking area adjacent to support building parking and evidence garage

Courtyard between main and support buildings

Outside portion of K-9 housing

Main building hallway

Common work areas

Common work areas

Weapons maintenance area

Evidence lockers

As work proceeds Major Nicewarner welcomes us to courtyard between main and support buildings

Lockers near workout room

Your guess is as good as mine

Support building garage and vehicular evidence area

One wall is being built along the FRPD/neighborhood boundary – maybe that is the compromise that could reopen the federal government – maybe …

Neighbors

Chief Magalis was all smiles inside the public entrance lobby area – and it will be an even BIGGER and collective departmental smile in about two months – with a little luck and weather cooperation.