In January of 2012, the Manchester Evening News ran a story entitled "New look police station officially opens its doors".  The story explained that the Rochdale Divisional Headquarters building, beside the Memorial Gardens on the Esplanade, had undergone a £16m refurbishment.  "The transformed building has been dedicated to the late Gloria Oates OBE DL. .... This building will enable police officers and staff to provide a first class police service for the people of Rochdale and is a fitting tribute and legacy to her.  The police station has undergone an extensive refurbishment and since the project started in August 2010 the building has been stripped back to its basic structure to create an open plan office space. The station boasts a new public entrance and a glass frontage that is lit up in the evening. "