Nassau plans new crime lab in Westbury

Nassau lawmakers last week approved $3.87 million for design and construction services to build a new crime laboratory at the county's public safety center in Westbury.

The county legislature's Rules Committee has agreed to amend an existing contract with Swanke Hayden Connell Architects to do the plans for the third phase of the public safety center project in a former King Kullen warehouse at 119 Prospect Ave. that Nassau purchased more than a decade ago.

The third phase will include relocation of the county medical examiner's office to the center, which also houses the county public works department. The county's crime lab at police headquarters in Garden City was closed in February after an accrediting agency cited concerns over deficiencies in evidence testing.

The Manhattan-based architectural firm was originally hired in 2003 to design a public safety center that would include many police and fire marshal functions. The Swanke contract was amended and extended several times as the project's plans changed.

Last week, lawmakers extended the contract through March 2017, records show.

The county has paid the firm $403,000 so far for design work on the project, officials said.

Legis. Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury), a member of the Rules Committee, said she voted for the amended contract because public works officials said they were pleased with the company's performance thus far on the project.

"I really believe we all felt it important to get the crime lab construction done in a timely manner and get the crime lab back into operation in Nassau County," she said.