Police Department Proudly Dedicates New Station

Police in North Hollywood have had nearly two months to get used to their new surroundings, but not all residents, politicians and police officials have had the same chance. All gathered Monday to officially dedicate the new Burbank Boulevard station.

City Councilman Joel Wachs, one of four council members present, said the dedication ceremony held special meaning for the area affected by February’s Bank of America shootout.

“This station is incredibly important to the community,” said Wachs, whose district is served by the station. “They came from the crummiest station in the area and now they have something to be proud of. We worked really hard [to secure funding for the project] ensuring the Valley gets its fair share.”

The three-story, $15.2-million police station occupies 2.75 acres near the Hollywood Freeway. Its 37,340 square feet of space is more than double the size of the old station.

The site was obtained from the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. In return for the land, the parks department got $160,000 and will take over the old station to covert it into a recreation center for senior citizens.

Clifton Allen, one of the principal architects who designed the station, said he received numerous compliments Monday.

“We kept hearing that people had driven by and wondered what that building near the freeway was,” he said. “They couldn’t believe a police building would look so much like a wonderful commercial building.”

Allen said the prominent glass-block facade was intended to symbolize open communication between police and the community. “Public buildings, unfortunately, are not often designed to embrace the citizens and make them feel welcome,” he said. “A lot of people said that the previous station was old when it was opened. That’s what we were trying to avoid here.”