New Austin District Police Station Moves Forward

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 10, 2002
Contact: Jack Beary
(312) 744-9277

A new 15th District police station will be built in the Austin neighborhood under an $11.5 million construction contract approved today by Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC).

Under terms of the agreement with UBM Inc., the new station will be built at Madison and Menard, replacing an 84-year-old station now used by 15th District police, officials said. Construction is expected to begin early next year. UBM has committed to a 25 percent level of participation by Minority Business Enterprises and 5 percent participation by Women Business Enterprises, officials said.

The new Austin District station will feature state-of-the-art computers, a fitness room, expanded locker facilities for male and female officers and a large multi-purpose room along with space for community policing programs. The project will be built on both sides of Madison Street between Parkside and Menard avenues, officials said. The station itself will be on the south side of the street, with parking lots on either end and on the north side of Madison extending past Menard toward Mayfield Avenue.

When the project is completed, officers will work out of a station more than twice the size of the existing 15th District facility, at 5327 West Chicago Avenue, which was built in 1918 and is the third-oldest police district building in Chicago.