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Backus Community Center offers lease options to keep police department in its building
Summary
A Backus Community Center representative told the council that the center can offer three lease options to keep the International Falls Police Department at Backus, including freezing rent through April 2026 and providing dedicated parking and training spaces.
A representative of the Backus Community Center urged the International Falls City Council to consider keeping the International Falls Police Department (IFPD) at Backus, presenting three lease options and details about the space on Feb. 3.
The speaker said the current IFPD lease expires March 31, 2025, and told the council Backus would freeze the monthly rent at its current rate of $6,446.33 per month through April 1, 2026 if the city signs a one‑year lease or a month‑to‑month lease; a two‑year lease would freeze that rate through April 1, 2027. The representative described the suite as 4,877 square feet of net lease space with 10 soundproof locking offices, two meeting/conference spaces, a mini kitchen and break room, storage and utility space, independent heating and central air, and building access by key or fob. The building is sprinkled, ADA compliant and has an elevator, the speaker said.
The Backus representative also said Backus would provide 10 parking spaces designated for the police department on the west side of the building, that common area upkeep (lawn, snow, grounds) is included, and that historical use of conference/training space for law enforcement has been free of charge. "Keeping the IFPD at Backus makes good sense for the tax paying residents of our city, provides the police officers with a safe and stable environment without interruption to service, and is obviously good for Backus operations," the speaker said.
The speaker urged the council to engage the community and consider creative local solutions, and offered to make the lease and details available to council members. City officials present acknowledged the comment and said the council would consider options; no council action was taken on the lease during the meeting.
The Backus representative said the center has already provided the mayor, the police chief and the city administrator with a copy of the lease and invited further discussion and community input before the council makes a decision.
