The new building, which triples the size of the police department's previous headquarters space, features a soaring, 27-foot-high public entry lobby located on the highly visible northeast corner of the site. The entry signals a welcome and safe presence for the public during the day and while illuminated through the night. A community room is also located in the northeast part of the building.

The building includes a crime lab, a crime scene vehicle processing area, an enclosed parking garage, evidence processing space, a prisoner processing area, an indoor firing range, offices, and an Emergency Operations Center. The jail area includes a secure, two-bay sally port; a flexible detention block; holding and interview rooms; and juvenile detention facilities. The Village of Hanover Park's code enforcement department is also housed in the facility. The project includes a state-of-the-art communications system along with redundant CCTV surveillance and interrogation video recording systems.

The floorplan creates a highly efficient "police triangle" layout that places the patrol, detention, and evidence processing functions in close proximity to streamline operations and enhance security. "The design reflects the latest thinking in police procedures, allowing officers to securely process and secure evidence while limiting the possibility of contamination," Engineering-News Record observed. "Officers spend less time processing evidence and more time on patrol."

"Dewberry's design took into consideration many features that will aid the police officers in their daily operations, while keeping within the village's budgetary restraints," says Howard Killian, Hanover Park director of public works. "The final outcome is a building that the residents of Hanover Park are proud of, and provides a civic focal point for future redevelopment of the Lake Street corridor and surrounding area."

The exterior of the headquarters was designed to relate to the building's municipal campus setting while projecting a modern vision for the village. The use of brick, precast concrete, metal panels, and glass complements neighboring buildings, while new shapes and patterns create a distinct identity. Premium materials are used along the building's "civic" side to the north.

The building meets a stringent standard for sustainability, with daylight harvesting and lighting fixture controls, water-conserving plumbing systems, exterior sunshades and interior light shelves, and interior fixtures with high recycled content. The site's stormwater management system uses natural prairie grasses as bio-swales for groundwater filtration. Site lights are night-sky compliant.

Despite a number of site constraints and challenging weather, Dewberry and construction manager Leopardo Companies, Inc., were able to deliver the building on time and under budget. The accomplishment included program elements that were not originally planned due to budget constraints. Careful budget management and cost-saving design measures subsequently allowed for the addition of the garage and firing range into the building, in part through the use of high-quality yet low-cost building materials in selected locations. The schedule was also accelerated to capitalize on an advantageous bidding climate.

Strategic bidding methods also enabled the village to incorporate additional features, such as an ice-melt system beneath the entrance pavement, solar sun shades, upgraded window coverings, and additional fitness equipment.

Dewberry performed the space needs analysis and feasibility study and provided planning, architecture, police security and technology detailing and design, interior design, mechanical/electrical and plumbing engineering, structural engineering, landscape architecture, and construction administration. Bollinger, Lach and Associates provided civil engineering.