Following completion of Lakeville’s new police station, our team at Wold Architects and Engineers had the privilege to help redesign their former police station to address additional needs of the city. After several rounds of conceptualizing which needs they could address, Lakeville determined that they would like to turn the former station into a heritage center. This facility would include three tenants: the Lakeville Senior Center, Lakeville Historical Society and Lakeville Yellow Ribbon Support Center. Each with its own distinct needs, our team's main challenges surrounded redesigning the station to fit each entity's goals.
Located on Heritage Drive, the City of Lakeville Heritage Center was completed in late 2012. The design, separated into three distinct areas of the facility, includes an open design lobby that connects the three entities. The entrance is a welcoming environment that consists of a fireplace, small kitchenette and a socializing area. Additionally, the main area connects to a separate conference room (which all three entities utilize). Beyond the common area, each tenant's space was redesigned to accommodate their specific needs.
For the historical society portion, the area previously used for jail cells and booking was redesigned into their main area and two walk-through exhibit spaces. For the Yellow Ribbon Society, the main challenge was making sure the center was placed in the right location of the building. More often than not, veterans who use the Yellow Ribbon Society services want to be discreet. Thus, our team redesigned the back vestibule to be an entrance for the Yellow Ribbon Society, where space has been dedicated to supporting services. The rest of the facility is space for the community's senior center, including a large gathering area for events, a computer lab, a library, a fitness center, a community kitchen, several multi-purpose rooms and a game room. By strategically redesigning the space's prior usage, our team was able to deliver a cost-effective result that addressed each entities’ needs.
Throughout the timeline of this project, the community had a strong involvement, which includes fundraising efforts by all three entities to complete the center and volunteer work during construction. Former trades workers who spend time at the community's senior center pitched in their time and efforts to help complete construction. Although community members were skeptical about how a former police station could be reused and be welcoming, they were pleased with the results that emphasize community engagement.