Construction Begins on UF Public Safety Building

On the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., construction has already begun on the new University of Florida Public Safety Building. The new home of the UF Police Department is intended to enhance visibility on campus and promote accessibility to the public. The facility was designed by SchenkelShultz Architecture.

“We are very proud of this project,” said Ekta Desai, a Partner at SchenkelShultz. “In working with UF and testing options within our studio, we were able to create a practical, inviting, high-performance space that will accommodate multiple Public Safety departments. By design, the new building will define a campus landmark as a gateway and enhance communication and reaction time to better serve the University of Florida community.”

University of Florida Public Safety Building

The new, three-story facility will unite several different business units that are currently scattered around campus. It will house administration offices, a public lobby space, offices, a community meeting room, multi-purpose space, a secure storage area for public records, interview rooms, locker rooms, and a vehicle sally port for the secure transfer of individuals in custody.

“With the firm’s growing Public Safety design talent and community-driven focus, we have been able to leverage our expertise to create a space that will increase efficiencies and impact,” said Johnnie Lohrum Jr., Principal and Public Safety Market Leader at SchenkelShultz. “It is important for our firm to focus on projects that will impact our community in a positive way.

The facility will measure in at 50,000 square feet. The university is partnering with Ajax Building Company for construction.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Image courtesy of Kahler Slater

    UW–Madison Announces Completion of Morgridge Hall

    The University of Wisconsin–Madison recently announced that construction is complete on Morgridge Hall, a new academic building, according to a news release. The facility opened September 3 at the start of the fall semester, consolidating the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences into a single facility for the first time.

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.