The new 168,000-sf, $78.3 million St. Petersburg police headquarters building was designed and built as a new home for 526 St. Petersburg police officers and 220 civilian employees. The facility, built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, was designed by Harvard Jolly and uses glass extensively to convey a feeling of transparency to the public.
12,000 sf of space was set aside for high-density evidence storage, which includes refrigerated storage for DNA evidence and a custom-ventilated room for narcotics. The building also includes a 3,405-sf fitness center for the officers. Air is pumped directly into the more than 500 lockers to help avoid sweaty workout clothes from creating an unpleasant odor. To further the goal of fitness, a wide staircase was placed near the officers’ entrance to encourage them to use the stairs. The elevator was placed farther down the hall.
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The headquarters also includes 1,450 solar panels on the roof of the parking deck, which is the city’s largest government solar installation.
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