Project:
DOT Turnpike Law Enforcement Building
West Palm Beach Service Plaza
Lake Worth, Florida

Budget: $11,687

Deadline: 5 pm, Friday, August 7, 2009

With 460 miles of beautifully maintained and safe toll highways, Florida's Turnpike system includes the Mainline from Miami to North Central Florida, as well as other extensions, expressways, and parkways. On average, 1.8 million motorists use Florida's Turnpike each day. Learn more about the Turnpike at www.floridasturnpike.com

The Turnpike's West Palm Beach Service Plaza is located in the SE corner of Palm Beach County in the community of Lake Worth. It is one of eight service plazas on the Turnpike Mainline, located approximately every 45 miles, which provide nighttime, armed security. The plazas are open 24-hours a day and offer a variety of fast food dining options, gift shops, ATMs, Florida Lottery, public telephones, internet access, 24-hour news broadcasts, travel information, attraction tickets, picnic areas, dog walks, and other amenities. Both the men’s and women’s restrooms have changing tables and each plaza also has a family-style restroom. See more at www.floridasturnpike.com/tools_serviceplazas.cfm

The new Law Enforcement Building houses approximately 25 sworn state troopers assigned to patrol duties on the Florida Turnpike in Palm Beach County - duties consisting of proactively enforcing traffic laws and criminal laws to help insure a safe driving environment for the motoring public. Included in that group are members assigned to Contraband Interdiction Teams and the Traffic Homicide squad. 

The building also has members from the Florida Highway Patrol Bureau of Investigations and Bureau of Professional Compliance who conduct various criminal investigations and internal affairs investigations (fraud crimes, auto theft, etc.) as well as approximately 20 members from the Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Compliance Office who are responsible for inspecting and enforcing state and federal laws related to commercial carriers (trucks, tractor trailers). There are also 6 civilian staff that perform a variety of jobs including building maintenance, clerical support, and information technology specialist.

This complex has two other buildings: the Lake Worth Regional Communications Center and the Troop L Lantana Headquarters. Each of these facilities include both sworn and non-sworn support personnel but do not generally have public visitors. 

The Law Enforcement Building (LEB) was completed in February, 2008, and is a 22,350 SF two-story building. The perimeter walls are tilt up concrete panels with acrylic texture coating on the exterior face. Storefront doors and windows are double-pane insulated, tinted, impact-resistant glazing on aluminum framing.

The main entrance lobby is divided into two sections - 1) an entry vestibule with a waiting area and transaction window to the left and 2) an elevator lobby. These two areas are separated by double glass doors with sidelight windows, through which visitors can see the elevator lobby. The walls in both areas are drywall with horizontal recessed reveals. Wall colors include green/yellow accent walls and beige corridor walls.

The south wall of the elevator lobby has several floor-to-ceiling panes of etched mural glass with a unique Florida Turnpike Enterprise colored logo. The floor is wall-to-wall 18” X 18” porcelain ceramic tile in beige with accent tile in dark brown. The elevator, located on the east wall of the main lobby opposite the entry, has stainless steel doors and frame. Double solid wood doors are located on the north wall at the entrance to the Troop K area and on the south wall at the entrance to the FHP Exercise / Weight room.

Sites for Artwork
The project's Art Selection Committee has identified two sites for which they will acquire artwork and two more sites for which they might acquire artwork.

Site 1: Large wall on the right in the entry vestibule, approximately 17' wide, appropriate for a single large artwork or a series of multiple artworks.

Site 2: Smaller wall to the left of the elevator in the main lobby, approximately 7' wide, can be seen from the entry doors through the second set of glass doors.

Sites 3 & 4: Left wall of entry vestibule & left wall of main elevator lobby. Artwork might also be selected for these sites, depending on the project budget.

Because of the limited budget, the Committee would like to purchase existing artwork but are also open to commissioned work. Selected artwork must arrive ready-to-hang and prices must include shipping or delivery.

The theme or subject of the artwork is open but a Florida connection is desired. They do not want images of patrol cars or law enforcement.

Exterior Images & Floor Plan of Entry Vetibule and Elevator Lobby

Images of interior showing selected sites

Back to the Call to Artists page.