Eden Prairie council awards contracts for city hall and police department renovation, including indoor squad parking

The Eden Prairie City Council on Jan. 21 approved awards for construction contracts to renovate the cityoffice module and expand the police department, accepting competitive bids that put construction costs at roughly $21 million and a total project budget of about $26.75 million including contingency and soft costs.

The project redesigns roughly 112,000 square feet of the city center, relocates city offices to a consolidated main-floor footprint, and substantially expands police operational space. The package calls for a secure indoor garage for 53 squad vehicles (20 stalls EV-ready), new secure interview and evidence-processing spaces, a dedicated police entrance, a tornado/storm shelter and public meeting-room upgrades. Council accepted the contractor recommendations and authorized award of contracts; the motion passed unanimously among the four council members present.

Michael Healy, architect with BKV Group, described the design goals as protecting the police departments 20-year operational needs, providing indoor parking for squads, improving wayfinding and public access, and enhancing staff wellness and recruitment. "The lower level is the indoor garage space for keeping the expensive squads and all the sensitive equipment," Healy explained in his presentation.

Dan Kellberg, the project manager from Kraus-Anderson who led the bid process, said bids were opened Dec. 18; 108 bids across 26 work scopes were received and the combined construction bid package "came in a little over $21,000,000." Kellberg said the recommended award list includes 25 bidders and noted the team is carrying a 7% construction contingency. He described a tentative construction start at the end of March or early April 2025 and a substantial completion date in May 2026, with police fit-out and move-in targeted for mid-2026.

The police chief summarized operational benefits the department expects from the remodel, emphasizing space and functional improvements. "It is very exciting because we are quite literally busting at the seams," the chief said, noting the department has outgrown its current footprint and lacks adequate locker and storage space. The chief and architects also highlighted climate control and secure storage for technology, a dedicated forensic/"Faraday" room option, and indoor vehicle storage that will reduce weather-related wear and improve emergency response readiness.

The council motion accepted staff and construction-manager recommendations to award contracts and authorized the city to proceed with contracting. The project team said the budget includes the construction bids, general conditions and construction management plus owner soft costs and anticipates $26.5 million in bonding and an estimated $250,000 state sales-tax refund for a total funding package of $26.75 million. The recommended next steps are contract execution, material procurement and permitting.

What happens next

City staff and the construction manager will finalize and execute contracts, begin procurement and secure permits. Construction work is slated to start in spring 2025 and conclude in May 2026, with staged moves to limit operational disruption; the council authorized award of the contracts at the meeting.