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Station getting more than a paint job
By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer
PINELLAS PARK -- Council members have approved a plan for a multimillion-dollar expansion and renovation to the police station. The station at 7700 59th St. N will increase in size by about one third, which officials said should solve the department's space needs for about 10 years. The architects' plan, presented to council members during a meeting last week, shows a 12,511-square-foot addition immediately to the north of the existing building. The current entrance would be closed off by a wall or fence, and visitors would enter through the new building. It would be compatible in style with the nearby imitation train station the city is building on Park Boulevard to house the Pinellas Park/Mid-County Chamber of Commerce, the art and historical societies, and city offices. New public parking spaces will be available along 59th Street to the north of the building. Green space and trees are left standing in much of the shaded land to the north of the building to let people treat the area as a passive park. The complex will be able to withstand Category 3 hurricanes, with winds of up to 130 mph. The Police Department is one of Pinellas Park's two headquarters during disasters. The other is City Hall. The cost of the addition is estimated at about $2-million. The price tag for renovating the existing building is also about $2-million. The remainder of the $4.7-million cost is tied up in site development and design fees. It's unclear when construction would begin, but earlier estimates scheduled it for completion in late 2004, about two months after the train station is finished. The police station is the latest of the city buildings to be upgraded in that area, which is planned as a city center. The idea behind the development is to anchor the area with city buildings and parks in order to encourage small businesses to locate within the complex. The hope is that it will become a destination, similar to Baywalk in St. Petersburg.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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