By Kayla Johnson
PEORIA, Ill. – (25 News) – A letter of intent has won the unanimous backing of the Peoria City Council to build a police substation at the same site as a new Advanced Medical Transport ambulance facility off North Allen Road.
The idea to build the police substation on land owned by AMT had the blessing of Peoria City Manager Patrick Urich and new Police Chief Brad Dixon.
The agreement has AMT handling the design and construction of the substation, then transferring it to the city. AMT and the city will also share the costs of providing parking and other common areas.
City documents show the city government has budgeted $3.5 million for the substation. The letter of intent calls for a “white box” build standard for the city space, finished walls, lighting, HVAC, electrical service and restrooms, while the city covers furniture, equipment and any interior customization.
City officials expect the site to improve community engagement by giving residents business-hours access to staff for reports and questions. The city plans to convert the current substation into a place for equipment storage.
Police Chief Dixon said the substation would reduce the time officers spend traveling to and from the main station. “If they recover a stolen bike and they are out at Walmart on Allen Road, they don’t have to drive all the way down to the station, tag it into evidence, and then drive it all the way back,” Dixon said. “They can go to the substation and put that piece of evidence in, and it would cut out a lot of time and just driving.”
Mayor Rita Ali called the collaborative effort a “win-win” for the police and AMT.
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