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

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.