• Will Manchester, Director of Public Works, 952-988-8403

It’s been 45 years since the Minnetonka Central Fire Station was built, and 30 years since the Minnetonka Police Station was constructed. In the decades since, both departments have evolved to address the city’s safety and security needs.

That evolution continues with construction of a new fire station on the city campus and repurposing the existing police and fire facility into a remodeled police station.

Why improvements are needed

• The fire department has more than doubled, from 40 members in 1975 to 87 members today.
• The police force has grown by 20 percent since 1989 and female employment is up 25 percent.
• Annual police service calls have risen from 25,000 in 1989 to 42,000 in 2016.
• Annual fire service calls have risen from 200 in 1975 to more than 3,000 in 2016.
• A decontamination area is needed to reduce firefighter exposure to cancer-causing agents.
• Improved garage layouts and better-designed facilities will result in more efficiency.
• Both police and fire lack adequate garage and storage space for emergency vehicles, evidence and equipment.

 Resources

• Fact sheet
• Infographic

The new building will include several features to reduce environmental impact, such as:

• Use of local materials whenever possible
• The re-use of wood from removed trees
• A white roof to improve cooling efficiency
• Ultra low-flow plumbing fixtures
• Smart controls and LED fixtures
• Tree and vegetation planting around new facility

Concept plan

The concept plan was submitted for review in July 2018. Residents were invited to attend the following meetings and provide comment.

• Monday, July 16, 2018: Concept renderings were presented at a community meeting.
• Planning Commission - Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018: The planning commission reviewed the concept plan and provided feedback. View the discussion.
• City Council - Monday, Aug. 27, 2018: The city council reviewed the concept plan and provided feedback. View the discussion.

The feedback gathered at these meetings was used to revise the concept before it was submitted as a formal application.

Formal application

The formal application was submitted Oct. 1, 2018. View project renderings. Public hearings were held in January 2019.

• Monday, Oct. 1: Staff and project architects submitted a formal plan and land-use application.
• Planning Commission - Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019: The planning commission reviewed the application and recommended approval. View the discussion.
• City Council - Monday, Jan. 28, 2019: The city council reviewed and approved the application. View the discussion.

Visit the Police and Fire Facilities planning project page for more details.

• April 2019 – City solicited initial bids
• May 2019 – Council rejected initial bids due to cost
• Summer 2019 – City hired construction management consultant to advise bid process and assist with cost-saving revisions
• September 2019 – Council approved budget increase to $30 million
• October 2019 – City re-opened bid process with revised budget and plans
• December 2019 – Council reviewed bids, awarded contract to Kraus-Anderson. 

The project was initially approved and bid with a $25 million budget. The city council approved an increase to $30 million in September 2019 after initial bids came in higher than expected due to significant increases in construction costs.

To fund the upgrades, the city plans to sell general obligation capital improvement bonds to cover $25 million, which would result in a less-than-one-percent levy increase, starting in 2020 and sustained for 30 years. The additional $5 million will be funded by a state sales tax exemption and general, utility and cable TV funds, which will not require a levy increase.

Aug. 30, 2021

• The project is in the final phase of construction.
• Police administrative staff, as well as the investigations and patrol divisions, moved into the new facility in early August 2021.
• Fire administrative and command staff moved into the facility in late August 2021.
• Fire operations staff is set to enter the facility in September 2021.

View all construction updates.