Public Safety

Foster Police Station Study

Foster, RI

The Foster Police Department building was originally constructed in the 1820’s and had been renovated several times. The antiquated building does not meet the needs of a modern police department. DRA provided a preliminary evaluation of the existing building; developed a preliminary program reflecting the Department’s needs; and explored the construction of a new Police Department building as an addition to the Town Hall. We began by measuring all current spaces and photographing the building. The town provided some drawings of the Town Hall. They were modified to reflect the current conditions and provided some grading information that was sufficient for the study.

DRA distributed a checklist to survey police staff to determine their specific needs. This information was then discussed during DRA led meetings so that we had a comprehensive understanding of Foster’s specific requirements. Diagrams were developed for each of the spaces before floor plans were sketched and then drawn showing an addition to the Town Hall. We continued to meet with Police staff to adjust and refine the spaces. A preliminary 3D computer model was created (but not of sufficient detail for presentation purposes). Based on our experience with other police station projects, an “order of magnitude” budget was developed and included in our final report. Study completed in 2016.