Over the past decade, the Town of Millsboro has seen unprecedented growth and development within the area, which has expedited the need for an upgraded police station to accommodate the growing municipality and police force. With the green light from the Town Council to proceed with the preparation of a construction contract with Delmarva Veteran Builders, the construction of the new Millsboro Police Station is set to be in full swing this fall.

“The members of the Millsboro Police Department are very excited to move forward with the construction of our new building,” said Chief Brian Calloway. During my 24 years with the Millsboro Police Department, I have witnessed our town grow from a small town where people may just be passing through, to now a place where many residents live and work. We have been very committed to designing a building to serve the needs of our growing community,”

As the architects and engineers of the current Millsboro Town Hall and based upon previous public safety design experience in Rehoboth Beach, Bridgeville, Selbyville, Camden-Wyoming, and elsewhere, the Town tasked Davis, Bowen & Friedel, (DBF) to design the new Millsboro Police Station. The project started with the evaluation of the existing 4,000 SF facility located on Main Street leading to a proposed 12,500 SF single-story building located between Ellis Street and Railroad Street.

“The design process for this building has been especially thorough – exploring current and future needs, understanding a culture of excellence established by Chief Brian Calloway and his staff, and evaluating a multitude of viable options with town officials that are dedicated to the success of such an important public safety facility for Millsboro”, stated Michael Wigley, AIA, design architect for the project. “It’s been rewarding to be involved.”

After the initial evaluation of the existing facility was complete, including design studies for a new building at the same location and possible renovations of the current Town Center, the Town decided to ultimately relocate the new headquarters to the Ellis Street location. This location became appealing, primarily because it is town-owned property adjacent to the water treatment facility, but also due to its centrality and easy access to U.S. 113 which divides the eastern and western sides of Millsboro. The new facility was also chosen due to its prime location for emergency dispatch to easily maneuver around heavily traveled beach-destined routes.

While the construction documents reflect a full build-out for a 12,500 SF facility, bid alternatives had been created to reduce the square footage to 8,750 SF to provide the Town with budget flexibility due to rising construction costs and unforeseen supply chain challenges for construction components. Throughout the design process, DBF had relied heavily on three-dimensional computer modeling to give the Town the opportunity to see and review multiple design options. Ultimately, full build-out of the project met the Town’s budgetary criteria.

The facility will include new offices for the chief of police, a lieutenant, a captain, and officer areas to accommodate a squad room for six, as well as four sergeants and three detectives. In addition to the new office areas, the building will include a new conference room, soft interview rooms, holding areas, and a dedicated detainee processing area, which was intentionally designed to provide separation from public access and other uses of the building.

Additionally, incorporated into the facility will be a fully enclosed sally port, training center, fitness room, and an outdoor community recreation area to accommodate the police station’s current needs and future growth. Maintaining the station’s current CALEA accreditation is important to the building’s design.

“Our team is extremely excited and pleased to see this project move forward. As the Town of Millsboro continues to grow, our police department is a vital part of the infrastructure required to support Millsboro’s residents, businesses, and visitors. A state-of-the-art public safety building will be a welcome and needed addition to Millsboro”, said Town Manager, Jamie Burk

Davis, Bowen & Friedel, Inc. is providing a full complement of in-house services including architecture, engineering, and surveying. Chris Cullen, AIA, is serving as the project manager with Andrew Welch, P.E., overseeing structural engineering, and Tim Metzner, PLA, leading the site design and civil engineering aspects of the project. Allen & Shariff is providing mechanical and electrical engineering services.