New Ti police station begins construction phase

TICONDEROGA | Work has begun on the new Ticonderoga Police Station at 102 Racetrack Road, and the Town's Municipal Committee is optimistic that the construction phase will be completed by the end of November. "For far too many years now and over multiple administrations, our town has not properly addressed the rundown police station issue," said Town Supervisor Mark Wright. "The current structure has outlived its useful years, is in poor condition and frankly, is improperly sized and configured for efficient, modern law enforcement operations." Wright said town staff deserve better working conditions than what the current embarrassing facility provides, requiring a police department facility that is functional, cost-effective, secure, and comfortable from a human factors engineering perspective. "This building solves a lot of problems," remarked Ti Police Chief Adam Hurlburt as he and the committee did a walk-through of the facility on Monday, Sept. 22. "It's been a long time coming; we looked at a few different buildings, and we finally found one that fits." Purchased from Hudson Headwaters last year for $350,000, once completed, the upgraded 6,000 square foot building should rival any modern police facility built from the ground up, but according to Town Councilman and Municipal Committee member Tom Thatcher, comes with a far lower price tag. "This building just made good sense," Thatcher noted. "I think we are doing this remarkably cheaper than anyone else has. We have no bond issue and money has been set aside. We are going to do this within budget, that's for sure." According to Wright, solutions that demonstrated no understanding of the needs of a facility or Ti's officers involved everything from examining the Armory garage and using a vacant car wash, neither of which came close to properly serving as an effective solution- not to mention other challenges- to building a new municipal building. "The staggering cost associated with new construction would exceed $6,000,000, a cost our taxpayers should not have to bear if other viable solutions exist," the supervisor stated. "At one point, the Town Board considered leasing options, but the numbers did not add up to make it beneficial for the taxpayer." Wright said the new police station will be operational at a fraction of the cost of a new structure, avoid long term loan debt in the general fund, allow faster occupation than new construction, and will eliminate increasing maintenance costs associated with the current facility while being more economically cost-efficient to operate. Demolition of the interior took place over winter 2025, and remodeling officially began the third week of September. Though the goal is for the rehabilitation to be done in November, the station will still need all of its IT, security cameras, and door locks installed. There is not yet a firm date for when the police force will officially move in, but the hope is that early on in the new year, Racetrack Road will officially be "home." Hurlburt agreed the state of the current Burgoyne Road station is so inept that effectively doing the job of policing was impeded. "The layout of our station puts everyone at risk," he revealed. "Here in the new station, when you bring in an arrested person, this (the booking room, which will be located in the front right of the bottom floor of the building) is the only room they are going to see." Hurlburt explained that in the old station, when arrested persons enter the building they walk through its entirety, and if it is a combative subject, civilian workers are subjected to that risky behavior. "Now, when we bring everyone in, a subject can only be combative in this one area," he noted. "When victims are being interviewed, they can't get to them. We can limit danger, safety, security, and peace of mind for everyone." Hurlburt provided input on how the station should be laid out to be the most advantageous, efficient, and most importantly, secure. He and the committee mapped the floor plan out, and it reads almost as if 102 Racetrack Road was always designed to house the 13-member police force. Laura Wright, Ti Police Records Clerk, walked through the building enthusiastically, anticipating what the move in location will mean for the squad, and for the Town of Ticonderoga. On the far left of the station will be a training room, complete with a conference table donated by Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce. "We can then host regional trainings instead of having to travel all the time," Wright said, adding that in the current Burgoyne station, no training room exists. The new station will also feature a holding room, which will make late-night arrests more convenient. "Right now, if we arrest someone at 11 p.m. at night, the judges are not available, and we have to drive them to Lewis, then go back in the morning and pick them up," Records Clerk Wright explained. "This way, we can keep them here. It is easier to call an officer in to be here with that person. It's going to be great." Everyone who wishes to enter the new station will have to be buzzed in, adding to the safety and security measures. Plans to add a Sallie Port to the booking room are included in the next phase of development, which will allow for a smooth transfer of arrested individuals into the building. A Patrol Room for officers will feature desks along the wall and will essentially be where officers work and will be able to keep their own files. Right now on Burgoyne Road, all officers share filing cabinets and have no desks. And though there is no investigator on the force, the new station has allowed for an Investigator's Office to be housed, as one may come along in the future. There will be a Sergeant's Office, and not one but two interview rooms outfitted with camera and audio. "A lot of these rooms we didn't have to do anything to, just a coat of paint," Thatcher said. "They are saving money where we can; we will be doing the painting ourselves," the Clerk Wright added. "We are, however, in desperate need of office chairs. We welcome donations." There will also be an Administrative Office, an entry lounge, a Chief's Office, a storage room, a kitchen, a locker room with a bathroom and a shower (currently not all officers have their own lockers), and a large evidence room. At Burgoyne Road, the force is currently out of space in their tiny evidence room, being cramped with no organized system. "We still have evidence from a 2018 homicide even though the suspect was sentenced to 25 years with no parole," Hurlburt said. "We are still holding that and can't release it because he still has to go through ten years of appeals. Once all those appeals are exhausted, we have to get the OK from the DA's office to get rid of anything. Any cases that are open- felony cases, burglary cases, if we seize a bunch of evidence and don't have a suspect or did not arrest anyone, we have to hold that evidence for at least five years until the statute of limitations is up. In any other case that we have arrested somebody we have to get a disposal order form the DA's office saying it is OK to release the evidence, so a lot of stuff gets held for a long time." The Racetrack Road Station will feature a new system that is all barcoded and will tell the exact location where the evidence can be found. A leaking water fountain at the current Burgoyne Road station has been disconnected, with many mice found drowned in the waste basket placed beneath it to capture the water. Antiquated surveillance cameras outside the station are just one of the numerous issues plaguing the building. And though new carpet could be laid and walls painted at Burgoyne Road to help solve the interior visuals, it doesn't change the fact that the building has deteriorated beyond the point of no return and is a ticking time bomb structurally. "The reason why we can't stay here is because the foundation has shifted and is beyond repair to the point that the cost to repair it would be cheaper to build a new one," Hurlburt said. "I am waiting for a thunderstorm to take this entire building down." Once fully vacated, the Burgoyne Road facility will be demolished. Long term, the intention for the Racetrack Road building is to eventually move the town courts to the upstairs of the building. "I am so proud of our administration in its determination to find and enact a solution that was cost effective for the taxpayers, brought life into a vacant structure, all while providing a space that allows for proper law enforcement operations as well as additional space for other town operations such as a potential new home for our municipal court and return use of the auditorium to the people, municipal conference/public meeting space, emergency shelter capability for residents, and record storage," Wright added. Once completed, an official ribbon-cutting will be held, allowing the community to see the new station for themselves. "There is something to be said when ¾ of your building is underground," reflected Hurlburt. "You can't get much more secure than that."

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New Ti police station begins construction phase

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