Rockville Centre officials mull new sites, options for mold-contaminated police headquarters

The village’s Board of Trustees voted earlier this month to rescind bids that had been awarded to construct a new police headquarters, and officials are now looking at other options to renovate or replace the building.

The bids, amounting to about $2 million, were for various elements of the proposed build-out, including general construction, plumbing, electric, fire-suppression system and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, according to village spokeswoman Julie Scully. But those plans will not move forward.

An April air quality report from Baldwin-based Clean Air Testing Labs found “severe mold contamination” at the Rockville Centre Police Department’s headquarters at 34 Maple Ave., the Herald reported last month.

Though the report stated “the levels of contamination and the species that were detected can be life-threatening,” it also noted that there was “very little airborne mold spore contamination.” The report recommends that the building be closed during abatement, which is necessary to “create a safe working environment.”

Several employees wishing not to be identified said they were having allergic reactions or becoming ill because of the mold, but village officials said at the time the building was safe to work in while they plan mitigation and relocation. Police aides were previously moved to the John A. Anderson Recreation Center, but nobody has been moved since, Scully said.

In an email last month, Rockville Centre Police Commissioner James Vafeades wrote to employees working in the building that an inspector from the state Department of Labor and the Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau found the facility to be safe to work in. Records of the Oct. 1 inspection could not be obtained by press time on Tuesday.

Jim Carty, president of the Rockville Centre Police Benevolent Association, said the inspection calmed down some of the employees in the building and that the village has assured him they are moving as fast as they can to address the mold problem.

The original plan was to erect a new building, a $3.5 million project, Scully said last month, but the cost turned out higher than expected, and now a variety of options are being considered.

Rockville Centre Police Commissioner James Vafeades and Mario Bento, an engineering assistant for the village, attended a three-day course in Addison, Tex. From Nov. 7 to 9 called Planning, Designing and Construction Police Facilities. The board approved the trip, at a cost of $3,900, at a meeting on Nov. 1.

Vafeades called the trip educational, noting that he toured several police facilities in Dallas and heard recommendations from police chiefs. “We’re moving as quickly as we can without rushing,” Vafeades said. “It’s an important decision and we want to make sure we’re going to make the right decision for the residents and the department.”

Scully said the village is preparing to acquire another architect or construction manager for the project. Vafeades noted that there are several sites the village is considering if they choose to move the headquarters, including 142 Maple Ave., which currently houses the village’s water department. He did not wish to reveal any other potential locations.

Vafeades added the department is looking to the future and hopes to upgrade its facility by adding more space for trainings, for example. Carty noted he would like to see a bigger locker room for the officers and a “state-of-the-art” gym to keep officers in shape to do their job.

“We want to leave room for some growth,” Vafeades said, “because every police department is growing.”