The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Ill., fleet moved into its new maintenance facility this month. The $9 million, 29,000 square-foot facility has 19 bays in total and is set up for 16 employees.

The new shop allows the fleet to consolidate two older maintenance facilities. Staff members started moving the larger of the two older shops in on August 6, then moved the second shop (West Shop) in a few days later.  One mechanic continued working in the West Shop during the move to handle emergency repairs. Other staff members worked on loading and unloading trailers and trucks.

“Considering the magnitude of moving two shops we have occupied for over fifty years into one centralized shop, everything went extremely well,” said Mike Webster, CAFM, fleet manager.

The shop features 14 drive-through bays, two shorter skid-steer bays, one welding/fabrication bay, one paint booth bay, and one receiving bay. The entire building has LED lighting and “dormer” windows on the roof as well as windows in bay doors to let in natural light. It also includes all new equipment and furniture. Every technician has a computer cart at his or her bay, with a Wi-Fi-capable tablet for easy data entry into the fleet management information system and for bringing up diagnostic software.

Landscaping meets the district’s policy of all native plants and vegetation for low maintenance and to blend in with the natural surroundings. The building was designed to fit in with the environment, and fleet management received feedback on the final design from area residents. The shop is surrounded by the Blackwell Forest Preserve, so staff members can utilize the walking trails and picnic tables during lunches, Webster added.