An architecture company hired for $195,000 for long-term planning of city of Apache Junction facilities is to sketch out what a new police headquarters could accommodate.
The city council on Oct. 3 voted unanimously to approve a contract with Dick and Fritsche Design Group Architecture for $169,300 plus a contingency of $25,700 for a total not to exceed $195,000.
The work is phase 2 of the master-planning process, Sue Billings of Elevated Design Studio told the council.
Billings was project manager for the first phase funded last year by the city for a comprehensive space-needs assessment. A professional services agreement with DFDG Architecture was approved for $176,300 plus a contingency of $20,000 for a total amount not to exceed $196,300, according to the Aug. 2, 2022, Apache Junction council meeting minutes.
The second phase is to take about four months to complete, according to a project scope document from DFDG.
“The master-planning effort involves assessing three different sites — so we have your main 40-acre City Hall site, we have the (parks) area at Prospector Park and then the public works facility on the south side. So we had identified capital needs in that space-needs assessment and now it’s time to develop site plans to see what that might actually look like,” Billings said to the council Oct. 3.
“This proposal also includes surveying for all three sites because we don’t have any survey information. Lastly it also provides for a concerted effort in the potential new police headquarters — so this is very early programming for what that concept could look like, it could happen in various sites for that location,” Billings said.
The new public safety facility is to be tentatively located on the north side of the City Hall complex, according to the project scope document from DFDG.
“Block plans will identify quantities of offices, workstations and key spaces, but are not intended to be complete floor plans that exactly locate each of these items in a final layout,” it states about the police department building.
The contract includes setting up a capital-improvement plan framework in the budgets associated with the projects, Billings said to the council.
“So it sets you up with what you need in the near future and maybe 10 years out in terms of new buildings and facilities,” she said.
Councilmember Peter Heck asked if the work includes space needs in the Superstitions Vistas development in south Apache Junction.
“Yes, that is correct. That is a library, correct? And potentially a police substation and identifying the needs for that,” Billings said.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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