Shiloh breaks ground on $10.5M police station designed to meet village’s growth

Hailing the long-anticipated new Shiloh Police Station as a step toward strengthening public safety, local officials broke ground Monday on a $10.5 million, state-of-the-art facility.

The building at 105 High St. could be ready in a year. Centrally located on three acres near the O’Fallon-Shiloh Fire Station at 102 Oak St., it will have entrances at Church and High streets. It is also near Shiloh Middle School.

Shiloh’s rapid growth made the project a top priority because the police department has outgrown its rented space at 3498 Lebanon Ave., Mayor Robert Weilmuenster said. The village had 14,098 residents in the 2020 Census and is now estimated at 14,743.

Residential development and annexations have fueled steady growth. Shiloh’s population was 8,713 in 2000 and 1,065 in 1980, according to Neilsberg Research.

“As our town continues to grow, we have a responsibility to ensure that our infrastructure grows with it. This new station will provide our officers with the resources they need to serve the public effectively while helping us meet the needs of a changing community in a thoughtful and fiscally responsible way,” Weilmuenster said.

The new building will include a sally port, a check-in area and forensics space, along with more room overall. It will be about 17,000 square feet, compared with the current 1,900 square feet, he said.

For the past 14 years, police have worked out of a residential-like building on the Wilke Window and Door property. Rent is $45,459 a year and increases 2.5% annually.

The department employs 23 officers and two clerks. Police Chief Rich Wittenauer, who has been with the village since 2017, said the building is too small for needed technology upgrades and day-to-day operations.

He said the department lacks space for training or for the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis if it is called in to help investigate. The department also has no sally port — a secure, controlled entryway for escorting prisoners in and out. A closet is being used as a holding cell, he said.

Wittenauer said a new station would help retain and attract officers and improve morale. “This will help us recruit. Interest should increase about Shiloh being a nice place to work. It will be more secure for us and our visitors,” he said.

After the ceremony, Wittenauer described his department’s mood: “We’re all very happy. It’s been a longtime coming. It is another tool to help us do our job efficiently and for the safety of the community. Police officers are excited because we’ll be able to do our jobs better.”

Weilmuenster said Shiloh’s daytime population is three to four times higher than its nighttime residential population because of retail and business traffic. “It changes our policing drastically,” he said.

Interstate 64 is nearby, along with busy Green Mount Road and Frank Scott Parkway, Scott Air Force Base and Memorial Hospital East, adding to concerns about heavy traffic through the area.

“We’re in the middle of where things can happen,” Wittenauer said.

Weilmuenster said he began looking for grant funds during his first term. State Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, and State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, helped secure a $4 million grant through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. It was announced in March 2024 and released earlier this year.

“Those investments are among the largest direct state appropriations the village of Shiloh has received in recent years,” Weilmuenster said. The Shiloh Village Board also approved additional funding through bond issuance.

Weilmuenster called the project a milestone and said officers deserve a workplace that reflects the value the village places on their service. He also praised Wittenauer’s partnership.

“His leadership, vision, and dedication have been invaluable throughout this process. From the earliest planning discussions to the development of this facility, the chief worked closely with our administration to ensure this project meets both the needs of our officers and the expectations of our community,” Weilmuenster said.

Weilmuenster also thanked village staff members, including clerk/administrator Brenda Kern and CFO Tracy Kennet, along with public works and economic development staff.

“Thank you to everyone who helped make this day a reality. Together, we are building a stronger, safer future for our town,” he said.

Belt, a former police officer, and Hoffman, a former director of probation and court services in the 20th Judicial Circuit Court, met with village officials in March 2024.

In remarks Monday, Belt said groundbreaking ceremonies represent the culmination of planning, collaboration and perseverance.

Hoffman said the project reflects the needs of a growing area and thanked local leaders who championed it and helped secure funding.

“I also want to thank Chief Rich Wittenauer and the members of the Shiloh Police Department for their advocacy and continued service to this community,” Hoffman said. “This project isn’t an endpoint. It’s an opportunity to further strengthen and build a quality police department to serve this community and its residents. I’m excited to see this project move forward and can’t wait to see it open and running.”

The station will be built on the site of the former Shiloh Mobile Home Park, which has been cleared. It had been owned and operated by George Portz since 1988 and, before that, by his parents, Harold and Kathaleen Portz, after they moved to Shiloh in 1964.

Portz died Jan. 9, 2023, at age 70. His daughter, Kaitlin Huelsman of Freeburg, who manages the estate, sold the property to the village.

The state grant totals $4.75 million, with $650,000 designated for upgrades to Yorktown Golf Course and $100,000 allocated for removal of the mobile home park at the station site.

Weilmuenster said village officials worked with FMG Engineering, which specializes in municipal infrastructure, on the plans. FMG oversaw construction of Highland’s public safety building, which opened in November 2021.

Holland Construction is the construction manager. Wittenauer said the village will get updates at weekly meetings.