Construction crews deployed strategic planning and collaboration to build out a structure that serves as the city of Lafayette, Ind.’s safety and public meeting area in the revitalized downtown. The city’s Public Safety Center and parking garage on Columbia Street is the new headquarters for the Lafayette Police, 911 dispatch and Public Safety departments.

The $51 million project for the 70,000-square-foot building was constructed by Kettelhut Construction, Lafayette, with all electrical installation provided by Huston Electric Inc., Kokomo, Ind., and its four divisions: Electrical, Low-Voltage and Technology, Signage, and Solar. 

 Before the project launched in 2022, policing was done from multiple sites throughout the city. The city’s goal was to offer a more community-focused facility, said Dennis Carson, director of economic development for the city of Lafayette.

The new building aims to serve police work as well as community activities, and it helps the city recruit and retain top talent. It includes a two-story public area that features a community room and outdoor plaza and movie screen. The policing area includes secure rooms, bulletproof windows and an analysis and response center (ARC) as a hub for special operations. 

In addition, a garage adds 468 parking spots and supports city staff and the public as they shop or work downtown. Police business is conducted in a discrete, secure area with bullet-­resistant barriers. 

The new 70,000-square-foot Public Safety Center and parking garage was designed to serve the needs of both police work and the local community.

A family business

Huston Electric is a fourth-generation, family-run company established in 1939. The company has spent 24 months on the Public Safety Building site to provide Lafayette with state-of-the-art electrical and low-voltage systems for their new facility. 

Huston Electric’s role on this project included material procurement and installation for utility relocation, power distribution, lightning protection, LED lighting, telecommunications, security, audiovisual, emergency power and life safety technology. On the roof, Huston Solar installed a 140-kilowatt ballast-mounted solar photovoltaic system to help offset utility costs. Huston’s sign division was tasked with the design, production and installation of the new interior and exterior signage. 

In the early phases, the company had to complete an extensive electrical relocation through the city alleys to accommodate local utility Duke Energy’s loop-feed system, said Kalob Weigle, Huston Electric’s senior project manager. Duke Energy prefers a loop-fed service connected to two different sources. 

“This presented a significant challenge before the project even began, as we had to navigate heavily congested underground utility spaces in the alleys,” Weigle said. 

To achieve this, Huston Electric installed two new conduits, one running south to the library and another extending east to a different Duke Energy pole.

Huston Electric then relocated and set up a new service source, bringing in two new services for the Lafayette Public Safety Building, Weigle explained. One was a 480V, 1,600A service that split between the main building and the parking garage. The other was a single-phase service dedicated to the brick retail area. The contractor’s team also installed all pathways for Duke Energy’s primary voltage and ran the conduit and secondary conductors from the Duke Energy transformers into the switchgear.

Inside, the building has a 1,600A main switchboard backed up by a 1-megawatt generator, ensuring the entire facility has full, reliable backup power. The main electrical room, located on the first floor near the generator, houses two switchboards and two transfer switches. Additionally, each of the four floors has a dedicated electrical room for localized distribution.

One unique aspect of this system is the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) backup battery system on the fourth floor, which exclusively supports the 911 dispatch center.

“This large UPS, powered by lithium batteries, supplies 400A of power to ensure uninterrupted emergency communication,” Weigle said. “In total, approximately 20 panels distribute power throughout the building and parking garage.”

Solar, fire and safety systems

The system also comes with a solar array to ensure it always has additional power support. Huston Solar installed around 310 panels on the roof. 

 Huston Electric provided the fire alarm and emergency responder communication enhancement systems as part of the low-voltage systems on the project.

The building includes significant life safety features with its distributed antenna system (DAS), Weigle added. The DAS is intended to help first responders maintain radio communication by enhancing coverage, ensuring that life safety personnel can communicate effectively throughout the facility. Huston Electric installed about 25 antennas throughout the building, along with a rooftop antenna that connects to a repeater tower. 

The building also features a smart building system by Crestron, Rockleigh, N.J., which Huston Electric installed along with its subcontractors. This system provides advanced control over lighting, window shades, televisions and security camera feeds in various rooms. Employees can manage these features using an iPad, eliminating the need for traditional light switches. 

“The Crestron system enhances convenience and efficiency in conference rooms, meeting spaces” and the control room, he said.

LED lighting 

Inside the building, Huston Electric installed linear lighting from Finelite, Union City, Calif. Additionally, a flexible strip light from Jesco Lighting, Port Washington, N.Y., is used in multiple areas, including the soffits, 911 dispatch center and the ARC, where it illuminates the walls and enhances the visual experience.

The building also features several specialty lighting systems. The parking garage is illuminated by DMX lighting, which allows for color-changing effects and can even be programmed to synchronize with music. The product, manufactured by Insight Lighting, Rio Rancho, N.M., wraps around the garage and creates a striking visual effect, Weigle said.

The signage design was initially created by an external designer hired by the architect. Huston Electric’s sign division took those conceptual designs and transformed them into renderings, which were then fabricated into finished signage.

The signage package included illuminated steel channel lettering on the building that reads “Lafayette Public Safety Building,” as well as nonilluminated architectural letters, a lit parking garage sign and entry/exit signs with integrated controls. 

“We also provided all interior office and room signage, including ADA-­compliant placards with Braille. This was a 100% turnkey sign package handled by our sign division, from fabrication to installation,” Weigle said.

In the parking garage, Huston Electric installed standard garage lighting fixtures with occupancy sensors that allow the lights to dim or turn off when no motion is detected, optimizing energy efficiency.

The exterior public areas primarily use short light poles that provide full illumination. There is also a pergola structure featuring Jesco flexible tape lighting, which offers greater aesthetic appeal by shining downward to illuminate the structure. This lighting setup is primarily located in the green space on the rooftop, Weigle explained.

Huston Solar installed a 140-kilowatt ballast-mounted solar photovoltaic system on the roof to help offset utility costs.

ARC control room

The ARC is the detectives’ workspace and features 16 interconnected TVs that provide comprehensive surveillance and monitoring capabilities. In the ARC, Huston Electric installed the audiovisual systems and television displays through its subcontractors.

Huston Electric provided the network infrastructure to support the cameras. The building features an extensive CCTV and access-control system due to the high-­security nature of the facility.

A unique low-voltage feature is the community safe room. It serves as a secure space where individuals in danger can seek refuge. If someone is being pursued or feels threatened, they can enter the room, press a button to lock it down and alert law enforcement. 

30 feet up

The entry vestibule posed a challenge for installation with its four-story-high ceilings.

“While this presented some logistical challenges, we were able to complete the work using standard lifts and scaffolding, without requiring any highly specialized equipment,” Weigle said. “Our team worked closely with other trades to ensure a smooth workflow and proper installation sequencing. Communication and scheduling were key to keeping the project on track.”

To maintain some of the historic ambiance of downtown, the city of Lafayette also wanted to preserve an early-1900s-era brick building with limestone accents on the site of the proposed parking garage. Huston Electric’s team disassembled each brick, preserved the historic storefront and stored the contents off-site for over a year. 

“Next, our design team carefully inventoried each item, digitally, to determine how to integrate the front 5 feet of the structure with the proposed parking garage,” said Kelli Huston, Huston Electric’s director of marketing.

That brick facade now creates a display front for a retail tenant space attached to the Public Safety Building.

Overcoming challenges

Material procurement was one of the key challenges faced on this project. Coming in on the heels of COVID-19, material availability was a serious concern. 

“With early procurement and the utilization of resources and trade partners, we were able to overcome this challenge in regard to electrical materials and equipment,” Huston said. 

Space was another hurdle, since the facility footprint was curb to curb. It took careful scheduling of deliveries and efficient use of the space available to successfully overcome this challenge.

Overall, more than 500,000 feet of cable were installed throughout the project, and the workforce peaked at 26 electricians on-site.

The facility is now hosting police work and community activity, as well as business growth downtown. 

“Since its opening, the entire complex has been a great success,” Carson said. 

City of Lafayette