Wicomico County Public Safety Building - Phase 1
This facility was a Notable in the Law Enforcement Facilities I category of the 2025 Officer Station Design Awards.
Official Project Name: Wicomico County Public Safety Building - Phase 1
Project City/State: Salisbury, MD
Date Completed: September 24, 2024
Chief/Director: Sheriff Mike Lewis
Project Area (sq. ft.): 55,514
Total Cost: $34,701,050
Cost Per Square Foot: $625.08
Architect/Firm Name: MW Studios
City/State: Nottingham, MD
Phone: (410) 344-1460
Website: mwsarch.com
Design Team: Evan Gray (Principal Architect), Nate McNeill (Project Manager), Ben Patten (Construction Administrator)
Project Description
The Wicomico County Public Safety Building Phase I is a 55,514 square foot public safety headquarters designed to support the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office in Salisbury, Maryland. As the first step in a two-phase project, this facility establishes a central, secure, and future-ready environment that addresses the current needs of law enforcement operations and the infrastructure demands of long-term county-wide emergency services.
At the start, Wicomico County emphasized the need to consolidate and modernize law enforcement functions into a single facility. The existing facility was outdated and no longer met the operational or technological needs of a modern Sheriff’s Office. In response, the new building was designed to house a wide range of specialized spaces that support the Sheriff’s Office’s daily operations. These include administrative offices, interview rooms, evidence processing and storage areas, duty desks, holding cells, training and meeting spaces, and vehicle maintenance workshops The facility also contains two key communications functions: a Public Safety Answering Point and a separate Police Communications Dispatch Office. These areas are separated to maintain focus, reduce acoustic disruption, and ensure uninterrupted 24/7 emergency response operations.
Site selection was a key requirement from the Sheriff’s Office. The department prioritized a location that would visibly reinforce law enforcement’s presence in the community. The new headquarters is located near the former station, strategically maintaining a strong public safety presence in the same area.
Additionally, safety and resilience were also a need that drove the design. The building and site incorporate multiple layers of protection based on best practices from CALEA, IACP, NFPA 1225, FEMA 543, and CPTED. Exterior hardscape elements such as reinforced concrete benches with internal rebar and fixed bollards mitigate vehicular threats while maintaining a welcoming civic frontage. Ballistic-rated glazing was installed at critical window points to shield occupants from firearm threats.