Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — The new Public Safety Building in Salt Lake City has almost been completed and will be open for public tours July 20.
The building has been constructed to promote energy efficiency and officials said that it was also designed to reflect an open and inviting attitude of area law enforcement.
"It's been really exciting to watch it come out of the ground, watch it now being finished," said Salt Lake City Deputy police chief Tim Doubt.
Doubt has been overseeing the project for the past three and a half years.
"I come here every morning and leave every night," Doubt said. "Most of my days are spent here."
With 175,000 square feet of usable space, the building is nearly twice the size of the old one located on 2nd South St.
"It's a lot, lot more comfortable," Doubt said. "It's not dangerous. It's not falling down around us."
The building is net zero, and the only building of its kind in the U.S. that operates 24 hours a day. The building uses as much energy as it produces with solar panels. A large amount of windows also help with creating energy efficiency in heating and cooling.
"As you're walking through, you'll see there are very few spaces where you don't get natural light," said project manager Chad Jones.
The building is also more functional with an open lobby area, community rooms and a museum open to the public.
All the detectives are located on the second floor in a newly designed work environment.
It's just another tool, like a car or a gun or a Taser. But, it's a tool that helps us do our job better.
–Tim Doubt, Salt Lake City Deputy police chief
"Instead of being separated and working out of closets, they can actually work in open cubicles and open work stations where they can collaborate and work together," Jones said.
The third floor will house the 911 dispatchers who will be using a new, digital system. The Public Safety building will also contain the emergency operations center where city departments will gather to manage a disaster.
"We don't have that now," Doubt said of the emergency operations center. "We have a temporary EOC. We have to set up if something happens in a small room over in another city building."
The building will also have an upgraded, temporary room set apart for holding evidence and a separate entrance for arrested sex offenders. Doubt said the design and tools of the building will help police officers to better perform their duties.
"It's just another tool, like a car or a gun or a Taser," Doubt said. "But, it's a tool that helps us do our job better."
The building is also designed to be safe and operational even after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
The ribbon cutting is scheduled for Friday and tours begin on July 20.
