MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis City Council members are set to debate plans for a $38 million police and first responder training center in the Windom neighborhood.
Training center plans
What we know:
Plans for the training center will be discussed during the Minneapolis City Council's Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday.
The proposal calls for building the center on a 4.7-acre site near a school bus lot on West 60th Street in the Windom neighborhood. The new facility would provide all law enforcement and emergency training operations, aiming to improve coordination across departments.
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Minneapolis Police Department
Minneapolis City Council Member Soren Stevenson shared his concerns about the costs of a proposed $38 million police training center amid a dire fiscal situation for the city.
What you can do:
The meeting began at 9:30 a.m. You can watch it live in the player above or on our YouTube channel. Council Member Aurin Chowdhury indicated discussion of the training center would likely occur in the afternoon, after a lunch break.
Aging facilities
By the numbers:
City officials say training is currently spread out across the city in aging facilities.
In a brief submitted to the council, staffers argue the city is spending a lot of money on the primary training facility for the police department, the Hamilton Special Operations Center, for a building that doesn't quite meet the needs of the department.
Since 2006, the city's total expenditure for the building has exceeded $20 million. That total includes $4.15 million in pure leasing costs, alongside utilities, maintenance, custodial services, and associated parking leases.
However, staffers say the Hamilton center has constrained outdoor training space, vehicle-based training can sometimes be restricted due to shared parking areas, and limited space results in scheduling conflicts for training.
Dig deeper:
The Minneapolis Police Department's Health and Wellness Unit also operates out of the Hamilton building and has seen an uptick in need for services in the aftermath of the Annunciation shooting and Operation Metro Surge. Staff use whatever rooms are available in the building, further complicating capacity issues.
The Hamilton building is also home to other units, including violent crimes investigations, special events, unsheltered and vulnerable populations, and procedural justice programs.
Firefighters train in a basement
Firefighters training:
The briefing also states that firefighter training is fragmented across multiple locations due to facility and space limitations.
"These constraints are most evident in the Department’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) training program, which is conducted entirely in the basement of Station 21, an active and fully operational fire station," the brief reads. "This space is not designed for high‑volume instruction, multi‑disciplinary training, or simulated emergency scenarios, yet it serves as the primary site for the EMS Pathways Academy, Fire Cadet instruction, and all continuing education for sworn personnel."
Big picture view:
The city plans to ask the state to cover half of the $38 million in funding. If approved, officials hope to break ground on the project next year and move in by 2030.
Concerns about cost
What they're saying:
Speaking with FOX 9 on Monday, Council Member Soren Stevenson acknowledged the train facility was needed, but it was not the city's current highest priority. His chief concern is the price tag, given the city's current financial challenges.
"It's a fine project, it's just not a priority right now, given the amount of spending that's been going on in the last few years, and the budget situation that Minneapolis is in," explained Sorenson. "So, we are looking at a project that is on our recommended list, but that is a.) not at the top, and b.) our budget is in really dire straits at this time."
City officials have said the impacts of the ICE surge in Minnesota have left the city's budget stressed across all departments. In February, city staffers warned council members the city had been put on notice by bond rating agencies due to the city's use of fund balance. If the city's bond rating were to drop, it would become more costly for the city to borrow money.