The Minneapolis City Council moved the Community Safety Training and Wellness Center back to discussion after some members questioned its usefulness following Operation Metro Surge.
At the Committee of the Whole meeting last Tuesday, the Office of Community Safety requested $6 million from the 2026 Capitol Budget funds to buy the site for the new facility.
On Thursday, the city council voted 7-6 to bring the motion back to staff.
Before the vote, city council members and activists debated whether or not the city should use the $6 million for a new community safety and wellness training center at 146 60th St. W. The new facility would serve police, firefighters and emergency management. The overall cost of the building, including the land purchase, is estimated to be $38 million over several years.
According to a statement from the Office of Community Safety, the center would increase coordination across different safety departments and would create faster response times.
Toddrick Barnette, the Community Safety Commissioner of the Office of Community Safety, said in the committee meeting that the new facility would foster a better public safety and community environment in Minneapolis.
“The benefits of being under one roof and having all of our departments in one place, I really do believe that it gets us in a more cross-functional way that translates into real-world scenarios. Better cross-department training can result in more effective and efficient performance by our departments in times of crisis,” Barnette said.
There are currently two other training facilities in Minneapolis, but according to city officials, they are not built to support modern training practices. However, they are spread far apart from one another, making coordination between departments difficult.
Along with updated technology, city officials said the new facility would help meet the requirements of the federal consent decree around improving training. Still, the decree does not require an entirely new facility.
Council member Jamison Whiting (Ward 11) said while he thinks a new facility would help Minneapolis, the planning for phase one needs more time and to answer the city council members’ concerns.
“We should all recognize that this is not the ideal time for this,” Whiting said. “I think the money is a current frustration that me and other constituents hold.”
Council members’ criticism
Some city council members questioned whether the money should be used, as Minneapolis city government works on relief efforts for people after Operation Metro Surge.
Soren Stevenson (Ward 8) was critical of the center and said the site should not be the city’s priority.
“Having a training center is a fine goal, it is a fine thing to look out for,” Stevenson said. “The question right now is this the right time to be spending this money? What is the priority of our needs at this time? The fact of the matter is this is not our number one need. This isn’t even our number five need.”
When asked about this question, a city spokesperson said the center’s funding would not impact the city’s response to Operation Metro Surge.
“The capital dollars to be used for construction of the facility cannot be used for operations, so the notion that purchasing the property would somehow detract from the City’s response to Operation Metro Surge is not only misleading but also not possible,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
City council member Jamal Osman (Ward 6) said while he supports a new training facility, he criticized the city’s poor process and outreach for the project.
“We have inaccurate training and outdated facilities,” Osman said. “One thing I will say is that this was poorly planned. We have not gone out to partner with government agencies, we have not gone out to get funding from the state or federal in a matter of time.”
Council member Linea Palmisano (Ward 13) said the facility is needed because it is important for police training to stay up to date.
“We need more border support on this project. This training center is an important and central function of city government,” Palmisano said. “So, I’m asking you to simply support the need for more time.”
After the meeting, activists against the new facility called the motion “cop city,” holding up a sign in the chamber as members left.
If the request is brought back to the city council again, construction of the site would start in late 2027 and open in 2030.
Council member LaTrisha Vetaw (Ward 4) said while she supports a new facility, the timing is not right for the city.
“People just want to talk about recovery right now, they really want to talk about what the city has been through and how we make it better,” Vetaw said.
