Breaking Ground on a Police Station Built for Mendham Township's Future

This week, local officials and police officers gathered at 4 West Main Street to place ceremonial shovels into the ground and mark the start of construction on Mendham Township's new police station. For a department that has served the community since 1956, it is a meaningful milestone: the first facility designed and built specifically for its needs.

We are proud to have served as the architect on this project, and prouder still of what it represents for the township and the people who protect it.

A facility that has earned its moment

For decades, the Mendham Township Police Department has operated out of a converted split-level house, with trailers added over the years to keep pace with a growing department. It served its purpose for a long time. But a modern police force deserves a building designed around the realities of public safety work, and a community deserves civic infrastructure that reflects its investment in the people who serve it.

The new station answers that need directly, with space planned around how officers actually work and how the public is welcomed and served.

Designing within a historic neighborhood

One of the most important aspects of this project was its setting. The new station sits within the Brookside Historic District, a neighborhood with a character worth protecting. A new municipal building in that context is not simply a question of square footage. It is a question of fit.

Working closely with the Township Committee and the Construction Project Exterior Design Advisory Committee, our team developed a design that meets the department's operational requirements while respecting the historic fabric of the surrounding streetscape. That collaboration ran from December 2020 through March 2021 and shaped decisions large and small, down to how the building is approached.

Rather than introduce a separate, visible parking area along Main Street, the design routes access to the station's parking through the adjacent municipal lot. It is a practical solution that keeps the focus on the neighborhood's appearance rather than on vehicles and pavement. Thoughtful choices like these are what allow a contemporary public building to belong in a historic setting.

Part of a larger vision for the township

The police station is one piece of a broader plan to strengthen Mendham Township's civic core. The nearly century-old Town Hall, home to municipal offices and the library, is slated for its own improvements. Looking at these buildings together, rather than in isolation, gives the township a clearer path forward and a more coherent result.

This is where our integrated approach matters most. Coordinating architecture, interiors, and construction administration under a single point of responsibility helps a municipal client navigate a complex, multi-stakeholder process with confidence, from concept through completion.

What comes next

Construction is expected to continue through the coming months, with completion anticipated in the summer of 2022. When the doors open, Mendham Township will have a police station that supports its officers, serves its residents, and honors the neighborhood it calls home.

Projects like this are a reminder of why we do this work. After 35 years and more than 2,300 completed projects, the ones that strengthen a community, and stand the test of time, remain the most rewarding of all.ccess.