Staff Writer

Jan. 4, 2000 10 PM

Members of the Troy Police and Fire Departments are packing their offices this week in preparation for their move to the Public Safety Building Monday.

Whaley Construction, contractor for the city of Troy’s Municipal Complex, is making final checks this week.

City employees are looking forward to occupying the renovated building, said Sgt. Benny Scarbrough, public information officer with the Troy Police Department.

The TPD has been housed for the past year in three trailers at the corner of Brundidge and Elm streets. He described them as "cramped."

"We know the conveniences of the new building will be so much greater than any inconveniences we have endured in this past year," Scarbrough said. "We put a whole agency into three trailers and maintained it 24 hours a day."

Extra space and a new layout are among the conveniences he listed the Public Safety Building will afford.

"It’s a real nice building," Scarbrough said. "Chief Everage and his assistant Jackie Carlisle have coordinated the project and worked endlessly to make sure we have a quality facility."

He said the police department also appreciates the support of the mayor, Troy City Council and city agencies.

Troy Fire Chief Ray Rhodes said the move of Fire Station No. 1 back to downtown will allow firefighters to have a better response time in emergencies because it is a central location.

Fire Station No. 1 was housed temporarily in the Pike County Fire and Rescue building on Orion Street, Rhodes said. The office of Fire Inspector Ed Brown will also be housed at the new location.

Renovations at the City of Troy Municipal Complex are complete, according to Mayor Jimmy C. Lunsford.

The departments and the Southeast Alabama Gas District are expected to move this month into phase two of the municipal complex, which is located between Academy and Elm streets across from city hall, he said.

The $4 million Troy Municipal Complex project was split into two phases.

Phase two of the project includes renovations and additions to the Public Safety Building, Lunsford said. Also underway are improvements to the Southeast Alabama Gas District Building.

New parking lots, landscaping and sidewalks will be added to tie together the three-block complex.

"These major improvements in the area should complement the Downtown Redevelopment Project," Lunsford said.

Work on Phase Two began this past winter. It includes Troy Fire Department, which will be located between City Hall and the Public Safety Building. The renovated Public Safety Building will house the Troy Police Department, Municipal Court, magistrate’s office and jail.

Additions and renovations being made to the Public Safety Building will transform it into a more user-friendly facility for the police department, Lunsford said. The work includes relocating municipal court to the first floor so it will be closer to the jail. This move will help protect officers, prisoners and citizens, he said.

The second floor will house the police department. The third floor will store records and house the evidence and dark rooms. Another change is moving the front entrance of the police department from Elm Street to North Brundidge Street.

"This will be so much better for the public and police department," he said.

Phase One included an addition to city hall, renovations to the Old National Guard Armory and the addition of a general maintenance building.

Both parts of the municipal building are now handicap accessible. Along with the addition came a face lift for all the municipal buildings to make the whole complex have the same architectural style, he said.

Whaley Construction Company is working on the renovations.

During its move next week, the police department is taking steps to ensure there are no lapses in service, said Troy Police Chief Anthony Everage.

Some services, such as telephone and dispatch will be duplicated at the trailers and the Public Safety Building until the move is complete.

"We ask for the public’s patience in this transition," he said. "We are going to have a police department that will be more efficient in design and is wired to accept technology of the future.

"It will be a benefit to our city."