- Oct 7:
- Forest Lake search warrant ends in police pursuit, 3 arrests
- Jul 23:
- Forest Lake parks to get nearly $300K in upgrades
- May 21:
- City seeks bids for water-quality project
- Forest Lake voters reject $176 million for school buildings
- May 12:
- Forest Lake: Suspected Bosnian war criminal pleads not guilty in immigration case
- Apr 16:
- Forest Lake city hall law challenge ends at Supreme Court
- Apr 15:
- Two years later, Forest Lake man's disappearance haunts family
- Mar 24:
- Forest Lake: Kidnapping, slashing suspect charged
Until Wednesday, some Forest Lake police sergeants were working out of basement closets. More than a dozen patrol officers shared three tiny work spaces to write reports. Suspects were hauled up precarious stairs to out-of-code holding cells. And squad cars had to be left outside in harsh weather because there was no garage.
Now there's plenty of elbow room for everyone -- including the squads. Safety issues have been resolved. And there are no more makeshift workspaces.
The police department, along with the other city hall employees, moved into the new Forest Lake City Center on Wednesday, marking the end of a long push for updated facilities.
"And we have a little room to grow, which was the whole point of this," police Capt.
City offices were closed for the move, and staff spent the day moving equipment, setting up offices and getting acquainted with the new building. Construction crews did finishing work on the exterior, while painting crews touched up the interior. Some of the new furniture remained wrapped in plastic, and electric wires were visible where TV monitors and security access points were being installed.
City hall operations will resume Thursday, despite some of the details remaining to be finished.
By the time Monday's public open house comes along, much of the work should be completed. The city council will hold its first meeting in the new chambers that evening.
The new building, which houses police, fire, public works and city hall administrative departments, replaces the old city hall and other outdated city buildings.
But it didn't come without a fight.
THE OPPOSITION
Talk of a new city hall began about a decade ago, and plans gained momentum in 2012 when the city council commissioned a needs study, approved a purchase deal for the former Northland Mall site. A financing mechanism with the city's Economic Development Authority then was made final.
The council's decisions were met with immediate blowback, including a petition with more than 1,000 signatures asking that the deal be put to voters in a referendum, then a lawsuit aimed at blocking the project. Opponents argued that they should have a say on the project, which would prompt a property tax increase.
Neither effort was successful, and the $22 million project moved forward.
The city will make roughly $600,000 in annual debt service payments for the new building, which will result in a staged $77 annual property tax increase for the average homeowner.
Critics were further inflamed when the council this year approved a development deal with the YMCA, for which the city agreed to contribute $9 million of the construction costs in addition to land in the Headwaters development.
The city will pay another $600,000 or so annually to repay bonds for the YMCA contribution, and the taxes for a home valued at $200,000 will increase about $72 a year for up to 20 years to cover the cost.
In November, at the behest of council member Ben Winnick, the council asked city staff to look for ways to shave $1 million from the 2015 budget. Winnick said he was trying to offset some of the impact from the two big projects, and subsequent public comments echoed some frustrations from residents.
The council whittled the potential cuts down to about $274,000 at its last meeting and is expected to take the issue up again Monday before approving a final budget and tax levy.
NEW SPACE FITS
The site of the old city hall, north of Broadway Avenue at Lake Street and Second Avenue, is being eyed for possible development.
Constructed in 1939, the building has seen at least three expansions and has long been considered outdated and cramped. It housed the city hall offices and police department as well as the Youth Service Bureau.
The new city center, which is about a mile south on Lake Street and U.S. 61, also will include public works offices and the fire department, whose current truck bays barely accommodate the modern rigs.
The city center's layout allows for future growth and possible building expansions if and when more space is needed.
But for now, the new space is just right, Police Chief Rick Peterson said Wednesday.
"There was nowhere else to go," Peterson said of the old police department space. "We're going from a two-squad car garage to a garage that will fit 18. ... And the detention facility. I've always been concerned about our current space because of the stairs up from the sally port into what was essentially a hallway with two rooms. Now we're all on one level. It's safe and secure -- not only for the officer, but also for the detainee."
The other major boon is the new amount of storage space. "Another thing we were so lacking was just a place to put anything and keep it secure," Weiss said.
The new building features plenty of shared spaces for city hall, police and fire employees, including conference rooms, a break room, and a small fitness center with locker rooms. The shared building creates a "one-stop shop" for all city services, Peterson said, and also creates some financial efficiencies, which was intentional.
"It's such an awesome building," Weiss said. "When people come to visit, I think they'll see that this really matches the city. It's not extravagant. A lot of thought went into it."
Last month, council members voted to postpone the city center's ribbon-cutting and any fanfare about its grand opening, but they reversed course at their next meeting, Nov. 24. They opted to hold an open house on Dec. 8, before the council's first meeting in the new building, but decided to hold off (for now) on any sort of dedication plaque.
City administrator Aaron Parrish told the council that there was widespread interest and consensus that there should be, at the very least, public tours of the new building.
"There was feedback from the public that they wanted to see the facility," said Dan Undem, assistant to the city administrator. "Staff was contacted, council members were contacted. A lot of people have just a sense of pride and want to see it."
Elizabeth Mohr can be reached at 651-228-5162. Follow her at twitter.com/LizMohr.
IF YOU GO
What: Grand opening of the Forest Lake City Center; event includes remarks from city officials, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and guided tours. Light refreshments will be provided.
When: 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8. The ribbon-cutting will be at 5:30 p.m.
Where: 1408 Lake Street S.