On Friday, April 23, the City of Sanford, Florida celebrated the topping out of the new Public Safety Complex, located just east of the historic Goldsboro neighborhood.  Attendees included elected officials, the city’s police and fire chiefs, Architects Design Group (ADG) design team, and Wharton Smith construction management team and sub contractors.  The topping out marked the milestone where the highest structural element was installed at the atrium roof.  The atrium connects the police and fire department’s 76,000 square foot, two story facility made from concrete tilt panel walls and steel structure.

ADG designed the complex to include all necessary elements for a fully functioning police department; vehicle evidence processing, emergency services unit vehicle storage and a drive through sallyport, while the two-story fire department is comprised of a five-bay fire station and crew quarters on the first floor and fire administration and emergency operations center on the second floor.

The structure has been designed to withstand wind speeds in excess of 150 mph, with 100% mechanical and electrical redundancy to all critical infrastructure, to ensure the complex remains operational before, during and after a natural or man-made disaster.

ADG also assisted the city in acquiring more than $700,000 in FEMA grant funding for the project.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in October, 2010.