Collingswood To Break Ground On New Public Safety Building

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — Collingswood’s police and fire departments will soon have a new home. Collingswood officials will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 9 at 10 a.m. for the borough's new $10.7 million, 30,000 square foot Public Safety Facility. The building will house both Collingswood's police and fire departments at 434 Haddon Avenue.

"It's been a lot of work getting to this day and there is still a long way until we open the doors but it means so much to symbolically push this project to the next phase," Collingswood Mayor James Maley said. "We have worked extremely closely as a municipal team to build something that will keep our community safe, give our first responders the tools they need and fit within the fabric of Collingswood."

The facility is needed because the borough’s current police and fire buildings are extremely outdated and do not meet modern police and fire standards or best practices, officials said.

The new facility is designed to reduce operation and maintenance costs for both police and fire, improve response times, provide better communication and efficiency for both departments, provide increased community visibility and improved accessibility for residents and provide shared, multi-purpose areas that can be used by both departments.

It will prioritize green building options and includes features like a green roof and building systems' efficiency measures as the borough aims for LEED certification. It will also be home to Collingswood's Office of Emergency Management with upgraded technology and communication equipment. The facility is expected to be completed in early 2021.

"Our force has been doing extraordinary work in substandard conditions," Collingswood Police Chief Kevin Carey said. "This new space will allow for improved policing and community relations, and we are excited to be working so closely with our brothers and sisters in the Fire Department."

Borough officials hosted several meetings over the course of a year to inform residents about the need for the project and how it will be financed, as well as to provide updates and hear feedback.

The visioning sessions included tours of current facilities and exercises to get input from residents about the building's design. Officials anticipate taking on the cost of the project as old debt is retired to avoid any substantial tax increase to property owners.

"This project is a great example of how municipalities can work alongside residents to design a building together," Collingswood Commissioner Joan Leonard said.

"This is an exciting project for the staff at the Fire Department. We are looking forward to having a facility that will fit our current and future operations and open new opportunities for expanding our services to the community," Collingswood Fire Chief Keith Davis said.

Representatives from the borough, Camden County Improvement Authority, USA Architects, Epic Construction, Jingoli Project Management and others will be on hand to take ceremonial first scoops on the project site. The borough is working with Collingswood schools to host a separate time-capsule ceremony on the site in the near future.

“This is a critical project for the borough, and we’re excited to see the public servants in the Police and Fire Departments get the upgrades they need,” said Camden County Freeholder Jonathan Young, who will be in attendance. “The Freeholder Board is always focused on supporting projects that will improve the public safety of communities and residents.”