Future of City Facilities
Background
During a Strategic Planning Session in 2021, the City Council identified 6 strategic visions for the future. One of those strategic visions is "In 2025, Chaska has quality facilities."
As a part of that vision, the Council and Department Heads developed the following direction: "Reinvesting in core assets so that facilities are adequate to meet the growth of the community and reflect community pride."
What facilities?
- Municipal Services Building (MSB)
- Public Safety Facility (Police Station and Fire Station)
- City Hall
- Chaska Library
Why now?
- City Hall, Police Station, and Municipal Services Building are all over 30 years old
- Not many improvements made to the buildings during that time
- Need to reinvest now before building conditions get worse and maintenance costs go up
- Space needs study in 2017 showed that city departments need more space to accommodate staff and equipment that provide city services
- Chaska is still growing. There has been increase of 17,000 residents over the lifespan of these facilities, and we need to build to accommodate current and future growth
- Fund future maintenance needs
- Fund new library building
Current picture
Fire Department
Who works here?
- Paid-on-call Firefighters
- Fire inspections (commercial and rental properties)
- Command staff
- City IT Department
| When Fire Station built in 1996 | Today |
|---|---|
| No full-time staff | 8 full-time employees |
| 40 paid-on-call firefighters | 41 paid-on-call firefighters |
| Calls sent to all firefighters via pagers, firefighters would respond to station and then go to the calls | Duty crew model - firefighters staff station Monday thru Saturday 8am-10pm, respond to calls from station during those times |
| Approximately 600 calls for service (1996) | Approximately 1,300 calls for service (2022) |
Take a virtual tour of the Fire Station
Police Department
Who works here?
- Patrol officers
- Community service officers (CSOs)
- Investigations
- School resource officers (SROs)
- Command staff
| When Police Station built in 1996 | Today |
|---|---|
| 1988 city population = 10,018 | 2020 city population = 27,810 |
| 9 licensed officers | 29 licensed officers |
| 2 office staff | 5 community service officers and 4 office staff |
| 5,000 calls for service (1988) | 11,500-13,000 calls for service (average) |
Take a virtual tour of the police station
Looking to the future - Public Safety Facility
Our objectives
- Unified public safety facility with Police and Fire
- Use existing City property
- Enhance community engagement
- Focus on employee wellness
The process
- Went through a request for proposal (RFP) process in January/February 2023
- Chose CNH
- Approached project as a remodel/addition (remodel existing Fire Station, add Police Station)
- Original space needs study presumed 2nd floor could be added to the east bays of the Fire Station, and then both floors would be used for crew quarters, locker space, training, etc.
- CNH structural analysis of existing building determined footings/foundation not built to accommodate a 2nd floor.
- Shape of existing building created challenges with interior flow - square footage would need to be added to accommodate current and future office space, training space, and emergency operations center (EOC).
- CNH and RJM (construction consultant) did analysis of costs of project under assumption that existing station was taken down and replaced with new public safety facility.
- Analysis found construction costs for new building nearly identical to remodel/addition to station.
Why a new building?
- Structural analysis done by architect firm CNH found that footings/foundation of Fire Station were not built to accommodate a 2nd floor. That means the east bays would need to be demolished and rebuilt to structurally support a 2nd floor, which would be necessary to fit spaces for crew quarters, lockers, training, and decontamination
- More efficient use of space
- Long-term maintenance for new building more cost effective
- Reduces construction timeline which reduces time needed to relocate Fire Department during construction
- Flexibility for the future
- Cost of new construction similar to remodel/addition
What this plan brings to the table
- No property acquisition
- Current Fire Station site is centrally located in the city, making it an ideal location for public safety campus
- Community space for public events and meetings
- Police Department Picnic
- Safety Camp
- Police and Fire Explorer programs
- Fire Department Open House
- Provides training spaces, secure parking, adequate locker rooms, and break areas for Police and Fire Department staff
- Current Fire Station would be replaced with a new public safety facility for Police and Fire Departments
Planning process
View our proposed development page to follow planning process.
Current Picture
Who works here?
- Public Works Department (streets, parks, building maintenance, mechanics, storm sewer)
- Electric Department
- Water & Sewer Department
| When built in 1986 | Today |
|---|---|
| 22 employees | 47 employees |
| 22 pieces of equipment | 87 pieces of equipment |
| 11 bays in building | 18 bays in building |
| 58 miles of streets | 101 miles of streets |
| 20 miles of trails | 70 miles of trails |
| 1,945 utility customers | 7,500 utility customers |
Take a virtual tour of MSB
Looking to the future
Our objectives
- Keep Water & Sewer, Public Works, and Electric Departments together
- Improve efficiencies in how we provide city services
- Focus on employee wellness
- Building should be functional and flexible
- Balance security and connectivity
- Durability and resiliency
The process
- Original intention had been for a remodel and addition at the site of the existing Municipal Services Building
- Xcel Transmission Line relocation became increasingly expensive
- Summer 2024 review of purchasing a new site vs remaining on the existing site
- September 2024 approved purchase of property because it was determined it would allow for more efficient operations and be less costly when completed
- Went through a request for proposal (RFP) process in January/February 2025
- Chose Oertel as the architect
- Design and city entitlement process throughout 2025
What this plan brings to the table
- Location allows for easy access throughout the city
- Allows for indoor storage of vehicles which provides security and keeps the vehicles running longer
- Adequate space for all departments and mechanics to work and store equipment and supplies
- Provides training spaces, adequate locker rooms, and break areas for Municipal Services staff
Planning Process
View our proposed development page to follow the planning process.
Library
Relocating the Chaska Library was originally included in the redevelopment of City Square West. During the planning process, it was determined that the library would be better at a different site.
Since then, the Chaska Library became a part of our Building Improvement Program.
The goal is to build a new library in downtown Chaska. The library is a destination, and it is important to keep it in downtown Chaska.
Because it is further down the timeline, we don’t have a lot of details to share now. More will come as we get closer to 2028.
Current picture
- Administration Department - city clerk, human resources (HR), communications, economic development
- Community Development Department - planning, building inspections
- Engineering Department
- Administrative Services Department - finance, utility billing
- City Council and Commission meetings
- Library administration
| When City Hall built in 1987/88 | Today |
|---|---|
| 1988 city population = 10,018 | 2020 city population = 27,810 |
| Programmed to meet city's needs thru 2000 | 42 employees work in building |
| Built to serve community of 20,000 people |
Take a virtual tour of City Hall
Looking to the future
| Area name | Color on map | Square footage (SF) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Public Concourse / Meeting Area | Pink | 4,600 SF |
| 2. Council Chambers | Blue/Gray | 3,800 SF |
| 3. City Hall Administration | Green | 17,000 SF |
Our objectives
- Relocate police department and library so that they can meet their space needs
- Create a "one-stop" public counter for city services
- Better connection between staff work spaces
- Renovate Council Chambers and public meeting rooms with accessibility, security, and technology in mind
- Address current roofing and HVAC issues
What this sketch brings to the table
- No property acquisition
- Better customer experience
- Improved staff collaboration
What does this cover?
- Public Safety Campus (Fire and Police)
- Municipal Services Building (MSB)
- New Library
- City Hall
What's the impact?
- 2023 Facilities Tax Impact = $8 per month ($96 annual)
- 2024 Facilities Tax Impact = $7.75 per month ($93 annual)
- 2025 Facilities Tax Impact = $7.50 per month ($90 annual)
- 2026 Facilities Tax Impact = $7.25 per month ($87 annual)
- Note: Estimated monthly and annual amounts based on a home valued at $410,400, which is the median value home in Chaska in 2025
Estimated Construction Timeline
- Public Safety Facility construction: 2024-2025
- Municipal Services Building construction: 2026-2027
- New Library construction: 2028-2029
- City Hall renovations: 2030