PWPD Purchases Main Street Property to Establish New Headquarters

The Port Washington Police District is proud to announce that the Board of Commissioners has voted to approve the purchase of property to establish a new police headquarters. The new facility, located on a 1.47-acre blighted parcel of land at 128 Main Street (the site of the former Knowles Funeral Home), will provide many added benefits to the community while providing modern accommodations required of today’s police departments.

“We are excited to start the process of building this new facility that is so desperately needed for our community, our officers and staff,” said Port Washington Police District Chairperson Brian G. Staley Sr. “This investment is more than 25 years overdue as we have outgrown our current headquarters several decades ago and can no longer make the current space work for operating a modern police force to the best of our ability. The new building will provide many tangible and intangible benefits to the community that will lead to better connectivity, access and service for everyone.”

Simply put, the current facility has reached the end of its useful life. Originally built in 1958 to accommodate 35 officers and staff, the facility has undergone several renovations and expansions over the years—with a third-party study being completed in the 1990s determining a new facility was needed. The District currently has a workforce of 80, including uniformed officers and support staff, who are crammed into spaces designed for less than half as many individuals. The original headquarters was also not designed anticipating the technology and electrical needs of a modern facility nor was it designed to be ADA compliant.

“The new facility will not only be built with modern amenities and serve to be more convenient and accessible to our residents, but it will help the District solve its space constraints and improve operations and other efficiencies in the process,” said Port Washington Police District Chief Robert Del Muro. “It will also help us address current code violations and bring the District’s facility on par with current police facility standards. Needless to say, we are very excited to see this project come to fruition for our officers, our staff and the community we serve.”

The new headquarters is being specifically designed as an LEED certified structure to ensure it is as green and sustainable as possible. Aside from providing adequate spaces for officers and staff, the new facility will also feature a much-needed multi-purpose room, which will be used to host District meetings, trainings and community events for small- to mid-sized gatherings. Parking and vehicle storage has also been a perennial issue with the existing facility, but the new facility will boast ample space for both the storage of District vehicles and equipment as well as parking for the community.

The District purchased the new Main Street property for $8.8 million using capital reserve funds. A portion of the capital reserve fund will be replaced once the existing facility property is sold. The building itself is expected to cost approximately $30 million to build and equip, which the District will seek bond financing from the Town of North Hempstead (TONH) to fund.

Once plans regarding the building design are nearing the final phase, the District is planning to host a community meeting to ensure interested residents have an opportunity to learn more about the project, ask questions and provide feedback.

For more information about the Port Washington Police District and the plans to build a new headquarters in the community, please visit https://portwashingtonpd.ny.gov/New-PWPD-HQ Residents who have questions about this project or are interested in taking a tour of the existing headquarters to see the need for a new facility themselves are encouraged to contact newhq@pwpd.ny.gov.