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Cops, officials preview new Salem police HQ as construction hits turning point

Salem’s Deputy Chief Steve Bellshaw, right, leads a tour of officers through the site. The building is slated to open September 2020, officials said. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter)

Three Salem Police Department officers stood at the foot of a hulking, concrete frame on Friday. It will soon be their home. One officer said it’s starting to look like it.

“I’m grateful to the community. It’s an impressive building to see, to see where it’s at and where we’re going to be,” said Sgt. Kevin Hill, who’s policed Salem and Keizer for 24 years.

Structural work has nearly finished on the new Salem headquarters, a 114,000-square-foot building most recently in the news due to its costs. On Friday, city officials, police and construction workers converged to celebrate the turning point.

“Thank you all,” Salem Police Chief Jerry Moore told the crowd, after joking that he spends too much at time at the site. “I’m amazed every time I look at the building and where it’s at.”

The day was officially dubbed a “topping out,” a construction tradition historically celebrating ironworkers on large, steel structures placing the final beam. Workers would sign their names to it and even top it with a Christmas tree.

“It’s a huge milestone for the project,” said Kyle Boehnlein, senior project manager with JE Dunn, the firm overseeing construction. He added it’s a milestone for the workers who specialize in these structural trades.

“They finished their job and we’re celebrating their work before they take off,” he said.

About 150 workers have put in time on the project, Boehnlein said. Next comes glass, brick and metal panels – materials that will make a construction site look and feel more like an actual building. Construction first broke ground last September.

Hill, who leads the Salem police officers patrolling downtown by bicycle, said he is looking forward to the new space. His division currently works out of the same building as the city’s Urban Development department. The seven officers each have a bike and a spare bike.

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Construction workers and officers listen to speakers at the topping out ceremony on Friday. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter)

Left-to-right: Officers Travis Brossard and Josh Edmiston, and Sgt. Kevin Hill take a look of the future home of the Salem Police Department. The building is expected to open September 2020, officials said. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter)

“Here,” he said, standing near the concrete structure, “we have our own office, our own storage.”

Construction hasn’t gone flawlessly, however, as costs rose substantially recently. Last month, Salem’s elected officials approved injecting another $3.3 million in urban renewal dollars into the project – a year after giving $2 million in the exact same fashion.

Voters in May 2017 approved the headquarters with a $61.8 million bond. Physical construction was supposed to cost $42.2 million. Last week, City Manager Steve Powers signed a contract with JE Dunn to lock-in construction costs of the building at roughly $54 million.

Another $4.4 million will be spent improving Division Street, according to the contract.

Most of the cost increases, according to officials and people in the construction industry, are due to the rising costs of labor and material.

“The construction industry has gotten very expensive,” said Matt Braun, vice president of JE Dunn, on Friday. “The labor market is tight. Finding well-qualified subcontractors has been a challenge.”

The Salem Police Department’s new headquarters is expected to open September 2020.

Have a tip? Contact reporter Troy Brynelson at 503-575-9930, [email protected] or @TroyWB.

Trent Shanks, a foreman for General Sheet Metal, marks the concrete floor to help plan upcoming installation of heating and air conditioning ducts. Construction on the Salem Police Department’s new home is expected to complete September 2020, officials said. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter)

The view of Salem Police Department from the northern lot. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter)

Matt Braun, vice president of JE Dunn, speaks at the topping out ceremony on Friday. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter)

Kyle Boehnlein, project manager at JE Dunn, stands inside the Salem Police Department construction on Friday during a tour. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter)