Lake Forest Pushes New Police Headquarters Opening To December: Report

LAKE FOREST, IL — Lake Forest’s new police headquarters is now expected to open in December, after another delay tied to construction work and slower deliveries of some materials and equipment, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune.

The station at 1925 Field Court in the Conway Park office complex had previously been projected to open earlier this year, then in August or September, and later in October.

The city is converting a vacant 98,000-square-foot office building into a standalone police headquarters after determining the public safety building at 255 W. Deerpath was no longer adequate for police operations. The City Council approved the $3.5 million purchase in 2024, then approved financing in October for the project’s $26 million renovation.

Lake Forest Police Chief John Burke told the Tribune that the latest delay is connected to installation of fire and smoke-related equipment, along with slower-than-expected deliveries of some construction materials.

“It’s a rehab project as we are taking a building that was built in 2008 for office use, and we are converting it into a police department," Burke said. “Whenever you are converting something, according to the architects and contractors, this is fairly normal that you find things you didn’t expect in the building."

Read more from the Chicago Tribune: New Lake Forest police station now expected to open in December: ‘This is fairly normal that you find things you didn’t expect’