A centrally-located public safety complex has received the go-ahead from the Orion Township Board, and construction could begin within the year.
The board accepted a proposal on Aug. 6 for architect/engineering services from French Associates.
The new complex will house the Orion Substation of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, the Department of Public Works and a central Township Fire Station.
‘It’s something that’s been in the discussion for about five years now,? Township Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk said of the project. ‘It’s not anything new.?
Lieutenant Bruce Naile said the three services will be in separate buildings on the same piece of land (owned by the Water & Sewer Department), located just south of Orion Oaks Elementary School on Joslyn Road.
‘It’s still centrally-located, which makes it good for response times,? Naile said.
Both Dywasuk and Naile said it is important to note the complex will be funded with money from existing funds.
‘The big thing is that there will be no bond issue,? Naile said.
Among other things, Naile said, the Sheriff’s Department space will likely triple and there will be a garage to house police vehicles in the wintertime for maintenance.
Board members cited the inclusion of the complex in the Facilities Master Plan as the biggest reason to go ahead with the project.
Dywasuk said the economic slowdown translates into good timing for building. He said expected growth in the township makes the project a necessity now.
‘It will also allow us to use our current building more effectively,? Dywasuk said, noting that there will be more parking and room for the various departments once the Sheriff’s Department relocates.
He added the department heads have provided valuable input along the way, and a ground breaking could come as early as next year.
On a related matter, the board postponed a decision to enter an agreement with Plante & Moran’s CRESA group (Corporate Real Estate Service Advisors) until their meeting next week.
Representatives from CRESA, who assisted in the hiring of the architect/engineering services, said their inclusion as a project manager for the new complex could save the township over $1 million.
‘They’ve worked with a lot of communities and provided good guidance when we were looking at the architectural firms,? Dywasuk said.