Chicago Construction News staff writer
The Illinois State Police (ISP) has unveiled the design for the new regional campus comprised of the Illinois State Police Forensic Laboratory and Illinois
State Police Troop 3 and Zone 1 Headquarters.
The total cost for the combined campus project is estimated to be just over $76.5 million. RADA Architects created the designs for the project which will be put out for bid in Spring 2024.
The buildings were designed to increase ISP’s forensic testing and scientific examinations capabilities throughout Illinois, and will house Division of Patrol Troop 3 and Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 1.
“As ISP evolves from a traffic patrol agency created more than 100 years ago, to an agency that now combats drug, gun, and human trafficking in addition to traffic enforcement, we need the physical infrastructure that can support our work,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.
A combined campus for patrol, investigations, and forensic services will enhance operational efficiencies and allow ISP to combine several work locations, reducing yearly repair and maintenance costs.
The two buildings are about 75,000 sq. ft. on 12 acres of land adjacent to an existing ISP building and firing range.
The new laboratory will replace the current Joliet Forensic Science Laboratory
built in 1964. The laboratory will include space for testing DNA, firearms, latent prints, controlled substances, footwear/tire tracks, and toxicology, along with areas for processing crime scene evidence.
The new ISP Troop 3 and Zone 1 Headquarters will house both patrol and investigations with several offices, training rooms, interview rooms, an evidence area, and a
large garage for vehicle storage and inspection work.
The project is part of the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan and is managed by the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB).
