The New York City Department of Design and Construction has filed plans for a Bjarke Ingels-designed police station in the South Bronx that’s expected to cost $50 million.
The three-story building will rise at 567 East 149th Street, on the border between Mott Haven and Melrose, in an area that the Daily News calls “the toughest precinct in the city.” The station house will serve the 40th Precinct, which has the city’s highest murder rate but the fewest detectives assigned to each violent crime, according to the Times.
The precinct will move out of its current home, a three-story, 1920s Renaissance Revival building at 257 Alexander Avenue, and into the new building between East 149th Street, and St Ann’s, Westchester and Brook avenues. The site is currently an empty, city-owned lot next to the abandoned Port Morris branch of the New York and Harlem Railroad. This particular stretch was known as a heroin shooting gallery and homeless encampment, which was “cleared out” a year and a half ago by the city.
New NYPD station at 567 East 149th Street. Rendering by Bjarke Ingels Group.
The finished police station will reach 60 feet into the air and span 49,000 square feet. The plans include a maintenance shop, changing rooms and offices in the cellar, followed by a lobby and rooms for prisoner processing, battery, records, property, evidence, vehicles and barricade storage on the first floor. There will also be a “community training/muster room” and a community meeting room on the first floor. The second floor will have conference rooms and more storage and evidence rooms, and the third floor will host offices, changing rooms and an officer lounge.
It will be the first NYPD precinct to include a green roof and a community meeting room, which will have a separate entrance. There will also be a courtyard and training area with climbing walls. The interior will incorporate a three-story atrium, “allowing total surveillance from the main desk, and channeling light into the building’s core,” Architect’s Newspaper noted last year.
The project has been in the works since 2008, when the city tapped Alexander Gorlin to design a more traditional station house. Since then, the cost of design and construction has nearly doubled from $29 million to $50 million, the Daily News reported last year. The design is meant to resemble a series of stacked bricks, and the exterior will be clad in sandblasted concrete and perforated metal panels, among other materials.
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Strong structure design suitable three-story building police station, on my private vision according to what I see.
I pass this empty lot quite often. This will be a big improvement to the area. A school is right across the street.
True. Let’s just hope they don’t turn the one on 138th into another methadone clinic or homeless shelter. The city likes to put those things in that community to take them from other boroughs.
Fewest detectives per crime? So can people say with a straight face this area isn’t purposely neglected still? Maybe not as bad as the planned shrinkage and the redlining and blockbusting that caused the landlords to burn down their own buildings – but this is still neglect. A new precinct is only good with more police.
Is 50 million for a police station really necessary?
Why would the city use one of the most expensive Starchitects to design this building…President Trump kindly respond
Is Mr. Ingles the same person who designed the New York City Police Academy?
No. Perkins and Will were the design architects of the police academmy, along with Tactical Design and Michael Fieldman https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/nyregion/950-million-police-academy-simulates-the-mean-streets.html?mtrref=www.google.com
Wow! Great place for pigeons to roost!
DDC can’t design and build. They did my local Firehouse(three units). Has an Irish look to it.
Looks more suitable for the KGB – sinister! Ah but it’s design is from a “Starchitect” so it has to be hideous and way way over priced! Suckers!!
Why can’t this police station include at least a few commercial storefronts? A residential component would also make sense.
This should be mixed use. At least commercial storefronts on E 149th St. And all parking should be underground.