NILEA Training Facility

Located in Valparaiso, IN

The Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy needed a new training facility in Valparaiso to better serve police departments throughout the region. NILEA provides in-service training and 16-week basic recruit academy classes for 64 police departments across a 12-county area. With three acres of donated land next to the MAAC Foundation First Responder Training Campus, the organization had an opportunity to create a purpose-built facility for its growing training needs. The challenge was delivering a durable, state-of-the-art facility while keeping the project on schedule and within its $7.5 million construction budget.

Shive-Hattery provided architecture, interior design, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, project management, and construction administration for the 20,177-square-foot facility. The design includes training rooms, a mat room, multi-purpose room, lecture room, and a large break room for recruits. Durable materials were selected to withstand the demands of daily law enforcement training, while ceilings exceeding 20 feet create open, flexible spaces in the break, multi-purpose, and mat rooms. Shive-Hattery also coordinated project partners throughout design and construction to keep the work moving on schedule and within budget.

The new facility gives NILEA a dedicated environment designed to support the training of more than 2,500 police officers. Purpose-built spaces provide greater flexibility for both recruit academy classes and ongoing professional training. Its location alongside the existing first responder training campus strengthens opportunities for comprehensive public safety education in one centralized area. The facility supports NILEA’s ability to serve 64 police departments and communities across its 12-county region for years to come.