Ground Breaking: Queens Police Academy

December 16, 2009

Commissioner Burney and Deputy Commissioner David Resnick joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and other local and civic officials at the groundbreaking for the first phase of the NYPD Academy. The new campus will consolidate the Department’s academic and training facilities currently scattered across the City. "The project demonstrates our commitment to architectural excellence and will be one of the largest environmentally sustainable projects in New York City,” said Commissioner Burney.

The overall complex will include instructional spaces for providing immersive, scenario-based training for police personnel, indoor firing ranges, a sophisticated tactical training building, classroom and administrative space and a driver training course to be located on the roof of a 2,000-car parking garage.

The first phase of the project includes an academic building, classrooms, tactical gyms that simulate actual street conditions, instructional offices and administrative support spaces. Subsequent phases of the project will include firing ranges, a tactical training village and a driver training course.
Commissioner Burney noted that the project is being designed to achieve a LEED Silver rating. The sustainable design measures include: an energy-efficient central utility plant; high-performance building envelope with solar shading and daylight enhancement; rainwater harvesting and reuse on site; biofiltration of storm water runoff; both green and cool roofs; energy efficient lighting in all spaces and construction waste management and recycling.