A $38 million plan to train Minneapolis police, fire and other safety departments under one roof is on pause.
Thursday, the Minneapolis City Council decided to send back the proposal for a new Community Safety Training and Wellness Center. The $6.1 million land purchase for phase one of the $38 million project did not pass.
Funding for the full project would come from the city and potential funding from the state.
The future facility will sit on nearly five acres in the Windom neighborhood and will be a centralized hub for fire, police and emergency management to train together, coordinate and focus on physical and mental wellness.
Some council members said the cost is too high and they would not support the plan. Others argued they need more details before moving forward with a vote.
“I will not be supporting this proposal no matter what,” said Council Member Jason Chavez. “Thirty-eight million dollars is absurd.”
On the other hand, Council Member Linea Palmisano asked the council for support on the project.
“This training facility is an important and central function of city government,” Palmisano said.
Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette says the facility would strengthen the community and is essential to meet the requirements of the consent decree following the murder of George Floyd.
“Our way to get to compliance was we would have this facility to cross-train our departments,” Barnette said.
As it stands now, the city’s public safety departments are housed separately and city officials say that makes training together difficult. This new public safety facility would bring everyone under one roof, allow for cross-training and boost collaboration between departments.
“We would just provide a better service, and this facility helps us do that,” Barnette said.
For now, the future of the facility remains uncertain. It is now in the hands of city staff, who will work to answer the council’s questions.
If approved, the construction could begin as early as 2027.
