HomeMy Public PortalAboutCOTI_PR20131025_PublicSafetyGdbkg.docPRESS RELEASE: Contact: Tybee Island City Hall
For immediate release (912) 786-4573
Groundbreaking for Tybee Island’s New Public Safety Building
Tybee Island, Ga. – (October 25, 2013) In planning for over five years now, the new Public Safety Building for the City of Tybee Island is at last reaching the shovel-ready stage. Announcing
the groundbreaking, to take place at 78 Van Horn on Friday, November 1st at 3:30 PM, Tybee Mayor Jason Buelterman said, “We are very excited finally to be upgrading our outdated police
facility. This is long overdue and wouldn't have happened without excellent teamwork among our staff and elected officials who have worked tirelessly to ensure that this is done the
right way for the long term.”
Feasibility studies and planning for the new building began with a Citizens’ ad hoc Committee in 2007 which released its report in 2008. Following these earlier studies and reports,
the Public Safety Committee has been working on details of the site and the building ever since. Wanda Doyle, Mayor pro tem and chairperson of the committee said, “I am very excited
that the city of Tybee will begin building a new facility for our police department in mid-December. It has taken several years to get to this point, but it will finally become a reality
with the opening in 2014.”
Multiple sites and different configurations of police, court, fire, and city officials and staff were considered before the final location and departmental population were chosen. The
Police Department and Municipal Court will be located in the new building, and the courtroom will also house the new meeting facility for Council Chambers, Planning Commission, and
other events with seating for at least 160 people. In addition to the courtroom, police squad room, detective offices, detention facilities and administrative offices will be in the
building. At approximately 14,000 square feet, the facilities will also include a sally port for police use, parking for all functions, and a fueling facility for municipal vehicles.
Greenline Architecture was chosen for the design work, and the building was modeled to fit comfortably with the residences nearby and to duplicate the look of the old Fort Screven historic
buildings in the area. Robert Poticny, one of Greenline’s principals, noted, “Greenline Architecture has really enjoyed working with the City of Tybee on the new Public Safety Building.
An effective, collaborative relationship has developed among the Public Safety Committee, Elkins Constructors, and our firm, and we have all worked hard to reach the goals established
at the outset. We believe the finished product will be something of which all residents of Tybee Island will be proud.”
Elkins Constructors won the construction management contract which requires that the building come in at budget, which is being funded by Tybee Island’s share of the Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) from 2003, which is already in hand, and the 2008 SPLOST which is continuing.
Completion of the building is expected in August of 2014. The public is invited to the groundbreaking ceremonies at the old Police Administration Building and Municipal Court at 78 Van
Horn on Tybee Island, at 3:30 PM on Friday, November 1st.
This sign shows the new Tybee Island Public Safety Building, expected to be completed late in 2014, and which is to replace the existing Police Department and Courtroom at 78 Van Horn
on Tybee Island. It will be posted at the construction site for the duration of the project.
About Tybee Island, GA.: The City of Tybee Island, Georgia is on the outermost barrier island off the Savannah area coast. With a wild bird sanctuary, over three miles of ocean beaches,
and salt marshes on the back river, outdoor recreation activities abound for visitors to the island. As a key defense point to the important Savannah port, Tybee’s Fort Screven, Tybee
Post Theater, Fort Pulaski, and the Tybee Island and Cockspur Lighthouses combine with the unique architectures of the island’s raised cottages to form a rich backdrop for history buffs.
Attracting a strong artistic community, there are several local supporting art galleries. Keeping the island interesting year round are several arts festivals, the Annual Pirate Fest,
the Beach Bum Parade, St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the Hot Rod Run, the Beach Bash, and the Christmas Parade, as well as fireworks displays on Independence and New Year’s Days off
the Walter W. Parker Pier and Pavilion. The Marine Science Center cooperates with Georgia’s DNR to protect threatened sea turtle species by searching for nests, protecting their eggs,
and making sure hatchlings make it to sea. For visitor information, stop by http://www.tybeevisit.com/, and to find more about the City of Tybee Island, visit our web site at http://www.cityoftybee.
org/.
About Greenline Architecture: Greenline Architecture was launched as one of the premier architectural and interior design firms in the Southeast following the merging of Savannah’s most
respected and successful firms, Bazemore Mastrianni Wilson Architects (established in 1996) and Poticny Deering Felder Architecture (established in 1998). Our mission is to be the obvious
choice to design a signature project for a discerning client. We are committed to sustainability in all aspects of our corporate culture and our designers are experts at their individual
crafts. With approachable and involved principals, we are designing exceptional environments for future generations. The firm prides itself on its professional and design integrity.
Every project is unique; the architects do not design using formulas or by rearranging items they have successfully used in the past. The firm provides architectural design and project
management, historic preservation and renovation, and full commercial and residential interior design. Learn more at http://www.greenlinearch.com/.
About Elkins Constructors: Elkins Constructors, Inc. has been providing construction management, design/build and general contracting services throughout the Southeastern United States
since 1955. The company has offices in Savannah, Atlanta, Valdosta, and a corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, FL. For more information, please visit www.elkinsconstructors.com.
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