The free three-hour public parking lot on the west side of Elmhurst's police station is going away.

In its place: reserved spaces for squad cars and detective vehicles, part of a $48 million rebuild that will reshape the First Street block in downtown Elmhurst for roughly 20 months starting this winter.

The City Council's zoning committee voted unanimously Monday, July 13, to approve a revised plan for a two-story, 54,000-square-foot police station that will extend the building's footprint to First Street. Police Chief Michael McLean presented the plan, telling the committee the redesign was scaled back from an earlier three-story concept to a rectangular layout.

"This is a good project that needs to be done," Alderman Chris Jensen said at the meeting.

What changes for downtown

The most immediate impact for shoppers and downtown workers: the public lot with three-hour limits west of the current station will be converted to police-only parking for on-duty officers and detectives. McLean said the conversion is part of a security goal to separate detainees from the public.

McLean told the committee the city plans to slightly increase street parking on First Street and pointed to the adjacent parking deck as an alternative. The plaza on the south side of the property will remain.

The numbers

The full demolition and rebuild carries a $48 million price tag, according to the zoning committee presentation. The city began issuing debt for the project in March 2026, with officials citing savings from a lower-than-expected interest rate.

The project also received $750,000 in federal Community Project Funding, secured by then-Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), to support next-generation communications and public safety technology in the new building, according to the Elmhurst Police Department.

What happens next

McLean told the committee demolition of the current station will begin in winter 2026, with groundbreaking for the new building set for early 2027. Construction will last about 20 months, a timeline that would put completion around mid-to-late 2028.

The zoning committee's approval sends the plan to the full City Council for a final vote. No date for that vote has been announced. The city previously held community open houses where residents reviewed three exterior design concepts and masonry color options before the Architectural and Building Commission selected the current design.