CAPE MAY — Despite the snowy conditions this winter, construction of the long-awaited Cape May Police Department building is progressing as expected.
“The two snowstorms have only made a minor impact to the overall schedule for the project,” City Manager Paul Dietrich stated in an email. “We still anticipate the opening of the building in spring 2027.
Construction began Nov. 11, 2025. As of this month, the foundation and below-grade utilities are complete and the concrete slab is set to be installed this week.
City Council awarded an $8.6 million contract Sept. 15, 2025, to Ogren Construction of Vineland for construction of the building on the corner of Lafayette and Saint Johns streets, a former part of Lafayette Street Park.
Officials broke ground just a few months later, on Nov. 12.
–City Manager Paul Dietrich
‘The two snowstorms have only made a minor impact to the
overall schedule for the project. We still anticipate the opening
of the building in spring 2027.’
The building will unite the Cape May Police Department, which is currently divided between two buildings: one operating out of City Hall and the other at the sub-station in West Cape May.
The new facility will be the department’s first independent headquarters and will feature improved public access, upgraded technology, enhanced training spaces and sustainable design elements to support operations and future growth.
Police Chief Dekon Fashaw, who was recently sworn in as president of the county’s Chiefs of Police Association, said the new police station will give the officers the tools, space and resources they need to operate more effectively and safely.
The site is strategically located to ensure optimal response times throughout Cape May. The location is on environmentally sensitive land. The city traded a small parcel at Lafayette Street Park for a much larger, natural area adjacent to the Sewell Track.
The project will be built partially over the formerly contaminated part of Lafayette Street Park. Deitrich said last year that the main part of the former Jersey Central Power & Light facility would be covered by a parking lot for the police station. He said there would not be any penetration into the ground that would disturb any contaminants.
In March 2025, the State House Commission unanimously granted approval to Cape May’s land diversion proposal, providing the space for the construction of the police station.
The approval allowed the city to exchange 6.6 acres of environmentally sensitive land adjacent to the Sewell Tract for 0.137 acres at Lafayette Street Park, which is part of the state Green Acres program.
Building specs
City Council contracted with architect Robert Conley in September 2022 for initial design services with an amount not to exceed $80,000. On April 16, 2024, City Council authorized Conley to proceed on the remaining phases of the contract.
In July 2025, council reviewed the final site plans presented by Conley and John Descano of Robbie Conley Architects. The plan accommodates different site features and issues, including staying away from the former JCP&L remediation site.
The plan presented included electrified gas lamps, like those on the Washington Street Mall, fencing around the parking lot and landscaping.
The design features three floors. The first floor will have a public-facing lobby, a processing area and a designated space for officers. There also is storage for police golf carts and bicycles for summer officers.
The second floor will house detectives, lockers and showers, a fitness area, a break room and a kitchen for staff to prepare and eat meals.
The third floor is for the command staff and will include an open patio area and an observation deck. This area will overlook Lafayette Street Park and serve as a community gathering space.
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
