Cardin: Rockville Police Station is ‘Great Tribute to a Great City’

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin said Rockville’s leaders “preserved the history of Rockville” by transforming city’s Depression-era Post Office into part of the city’s new police headquarters.

“It's a great tribute to a great city and it also provides the tools necessary to keep this city safe,” Cardin said.

Cardin took a tour of the new headquarters on Monday. He was in town to tout his latest law enforcement initiative, the proposed Blue Alert Act of 2013, which would create a national network to help catch violent criminals who injure or kill police officers, similar to the Amber Alert system.

At a total cost of about $9 million, Rockville renovated the historic former U.S. Post Office at Washington Street and Montgomery Avenue and built a police annex immediately behind it.

The police station has been operating from the site since September 2012.

Chief Terrance Treschuk said the new location was a welcome change. Gone are the days when Rockville City police worked from the basement of city hall—and out of Twinbrook and Courthouse Square.

“I actually had people in three different locations,” Treschuk told Patch.

The new headquarters houses 57 sworn officers and 35 civilian staff, according to city staff.

“A police department should always be in a central part of your community, accessible by all,” Treschuk said. “You couldn't ask for a better place.”

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Timeline

1938—Construction begins on Rockville’s first permanent Post Office building. Builders razed what had been the home of the Sentinel newspaper. The Works Progress Administration project was designed by architects Louis A. Simon and R. Stanely-Brown at a cost of $77,000. (Source: Maryland Historical Trust)

September 1939—Rockville’s Post office opens (Source: Maryland Historical Trust)

1940—The U.S. Treasury Department presented the Judson Smith mural of Sugarloaf Mountain (Source: Maryland Historical Trust)

1965—The North Washington Street post office site opens; concern mounts over whether older station’s fate (Source: Maryland Historical Trust)

2005—Federal General Services Administration identifies the old Rockville Post Office as a government surplus building (Source: City of Rockville)

October 2006—Rockville Post Office site closes (Source: City of Rockville)

May 21, 2007—Mayor and Council approve formal application to acquire Post Office (Source: City of Rockville)

2008—City of Rockville assumes ownership of Post Office (Source: City of Rockville)

February 2011—Council awards $6.5 million construction contract to Costello Construction of Maryland from Columbia, MD (Source: Patch)

March 28, 2011—Groundbreaking ceremony held for Police Station (Source: Patch, City of Rockville)

Sept. 21, 2012—Police department moves into its new headquarters (Source: Patch)

Oct. 20, 2012—Grand opening ceremony held for new Rockville Police headquarters (Source: City of Rockville, Patch)