River Falls outlines $20M Kinney River plan, new fire station and library refresh

City staff on Tuesday reviewed River Falls' top capital priorities and timelines as part of a joint briefing with the school district.

The city presenter said the Kinney River corridor Phase 1 will complete a feasibility study and move into project design, with an overall project estimate near $20,000,000 and design costs around $2,000,000. "That is approximately $20,000,000. The project is 20,000,000. The design is probably 2,000,000," the city presenter said.

Officials also described two visible municipal projects. The presenter cited a planned new fire station and a substantial library refresh: "$10,000,000 investment into the fire station and over 4,000,000 to start, likely about 7 and a half million total on the library," he said. The fire station plan calls for partial retention of existing office space, demolition of the operational bay area and a new garage, support center and training tower; the design includes space that could accommodate future living quarters.

The city reported a $1,400,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant intended to help fund the fire-station work, but cautioned the grant is contingent on USDA appropriations. "So we did get a $1,400,000 USDA grant... the USDA funding is contingent on" appropriations, the presenter said.

City staff and the presenter also flagged public-safety radio and communications as an area needing investment. He said Wisconsin' statewide public-safety communications lag some neighboring systems and estimated roughly $1,000,000 in investment will be required to keep radios operational and interoperable.

Officials said the fire station construction is likely to take at least 12 months once started, with a phased occupancy goal around 2026 and continued construction into the following summer. The city noted a capital campaign and a library foundation are partnering on fundraising.

The briefing was informational; no formal council vote on these projects was recorded during the joint session.