New 6th District Police Station in Gaithersburg Will Be Montgomery County’s First Renewable Energy-Designed Public Building

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich was joined by County Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Sidney Katz for the groundbreaking of a new 6th District County Police Station in Gaithersburg on June 29. The project represents County Executive Elrich’s commitment to renewable energy as it will be the first public NetZero, sustainably designed energy-efficient building in the County.

Serving the Upcounty, including the Gaithersburg and Montgomery Village communities, the new 6th District station will be constructed at the northeast intersection of I-270 and Watkins Mill Road, near 222 Paramount Park Drive. Scheduled to open in spring 2025, the new 6th District Police Station will replace an outdated facility. It will have space to accommodate up to 178 department staff and volunteers and has been sized to meet the needs projected in the Police Chief’s Staffing Plan.

“The officers, residents and communities in MCPD’s 6th District have long awaited the to the opening of this new District Station,” said County Executive Elrich. “The MCPD 6th District Station will be conveniently located, will be a sustainable building that is powered by solar and will operate off of its own microgrid allowing it to continue operation when electric or power failures occur. Additionally, I am pleased that this station will feature a community room that will be available to local residents and organizations for meetings and gatherings. The community room will enable MCPD to be better engaged and connected to the neighborhoods they serve in the 6th police district.”

The new police station is designed to achieve NetZero energy performance or greenhouse gas reduction by utilizing microgrid technology and photo voltaic onsite power generation. The building systems are fully electrified in keeping with Montgomery County’s carbon neutral goals. The building was designed and will be delivered under the International Green Construction Code (IgCC 2018) requirements.

The Micro Grid project is being delivered in partnership with the County’s Department of General Services’ Division of Energy and Sustainability, in partnership with GreenStruxture.

“Almost 20 years in the making, I am excited to see this vital project moving forward,” said Councilmember Katz. “As the third busiest police district in the County, the Gaithersburg and Montgomery Village communities need to have a police station equipped to fully meet their needs.  I look forward to attending the ribbon cutting of the new station in 2025.”

The station will serve as the base for the Central Traffic Unit as well as house an investigative unit. It will have a patrol sergeant, staff support and administration offices. Officers will have access to an exercise room, while residents will have access to a public meeting room that will be available to facilitate outreach with the community.