The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments on Wednesday celebrated the grand opening of a new 10,000-square-foot law enforcement training center in Cary.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office held the ribbon-cutting ceremony in conjunction with the Cary, Algonquin, McHenry and Lake in the Hills police departments.
McHenry County Chairman Mike Buehler, Cary Mayor Mark Kownick and McHenry County Sheriff Robb Tadelman spoke during the ceremony.
Kownick highlighted McHenry County municipalities’ ability to collaborate and make the multi-jurisdictional center possible.
Father Keith Romke performed an invocation, blessing the facility and asking for the safety of McHenry County first responders.
Sheriff’s officials said the McHenry County Regional Training Center is 10,000 square feet of educational space that includes two classrooms, a mat room and two conference rooms.
The building, which was once the Cary Village Hall and police station, underwent a complete renovation.
Crews turned administrative offices into a state-of-the-art training center.
McHenry County police officers previously had to travel across the Chicagoland for training, which often disrupted shift schedules and added extra costs.
“With the McHenry County Regional Training Center, we can keep McHenry County police officers trained to high standards efficiently and affordably by hosting trainings in their backyard,” Tadelman said.
Retired McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim and Cary Police Chief Patrick Finlon were also in attendance and received honorary plaques for their contributions to the project.
The McHenry County Regional Training Center opened in early October and has since hosted its first classes.
The Algonquin Police Department called the training center a “state-of-the-art facility” and said it is “a game-changer for local law enforcement and promises to elevate the quality of training for our dedicated officers.”
Construction on the McHenry County Regional Training Center Range, which is a complimentary building to the training center, began in April.
The training center range will feature a firearm cleaning room, storage space and a 50-yard firing range to support the training of McHenry County sheriff’s deputies and police officers.
The facility, located at 460 Cary Woods Circle in Cary, will also include modern classroom space for approximately 35 people.
Officials say the building is expected to open in the spring.