The Orangeville Police Service moved into its new facility at 390 C Line Wednesday.

The new police station is located in an addition to the north side of the Orangeville Hydro building. The police station, with 14,000 square feet, has twice the floor area of the former station on Centre Street.

The design is complementary in colour and stone so the two architectural styles of the new police building and existing hydro building blend

well together. Additional parking has been provided for both uses.

The new police building will provide for more efficient use of space.

There is a public waiting area and interview rooms near the front entrance, a modern security system, six cells and one communal cell, a small fitness area for staff, and a sally port (a secure area for vehicles transporting people). Cost savings were achieved by building on property already owned by the

Town and the police building being able to connect to hydro's electrical system, thereby eliminating the need for a new transformer.

The former police station on Centre Street was well below the size needed for the size of the department. The station contained 237 square feet of floor area per sworn officer - well below a provincial norm of 300-330 square feet per sworn officer. Credit Valley Conservation indicated it would not permit an expansion of the existing building as a portion of the property is located within the floodplain of Mill Creek.

That led to the designbuild project, and a contract tendered to Ellis Don Construction for the $4 million project (including state-of-the-art communications equipment). Construction got under way in November for the project that has been in the works for four years.

"Council is elated to see the Town completing this project and providing the police with a facility that will meet their needs to provide a first-class service," Mayor Drew Brown said. Police Chief Rod Freeman

said there was some sense of sadness in leaving the old building today. "It's the first time in 24 years that the front doors have been locked. A lot of good men and women have passed through those doors. We are, however, looking forward to a fresh start in a much better environment. We have accomplished a lot of change, with the police force and now with our facility. The Orangeville Police Service is committed to serving the needs of this community."

The new address for the Orangeville Police Service is 390 C Line, Orangeville, Ontario L9W 3Z8. The phone and fax numbers remain the same.