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Consultants recommend several relocation options for Fire Station 3; council accepts phase‑2 report
Summary
BKV Group told the Inver Grove Heights City Council that rebuilding at the current site would work but several alternate parcels — notably a church-owned parcel outside city limits — would improve response coverage to the northwest; council accepted the phase‑2 report and directed staff to monitor property‑sale opportunities.
BKV Group presented phase‑2 findings of a Fire Station 3 location study to the Inver Grove Heights City Council on Oct. 13, concluding that the existing site can be rebuilt for round‑the‑clock staffing but that alternate locations could improve future response times to the rapidly developing northwest part of the city.
The consultant team — Paul Michel and Craig Carter of BKV Group — told the council their analysis considered drive‑time coverage, site functionality and acquisition and construction costs. Michel said the current site could accommodate a new, 19,000‑square‑foot, single‑story station with three apparatus bays while retaining the existing station during phased construction. Carter said the project team “found something” but that topography, utility access and land availability limit the number of feasible parcels.
BKV modeled a set of candidate sites and scored them on coverage and operational factors. The highest‑scoring option was a parcel identified as “Site 2B,” a portion of land associated with Southside Baptist that is currently outside city limits. Carter said Site 2B “is the strongest contender” because it improves coverage for the northwest area while maintaining similar response performance to existing call volumes. The consultants estimated that a three‑station system with a relocated station at Site 2B could cover about 81.5% of current calls within four minutes, compared with about 81.2% from the present configuration.
The BKV team described tradeoffs: Site 2B would likely require acquisition negotiations and potential Department of Transportation approvals for median modifications on Robert Trail; a park site owned by the city (Site 1A) would avoid acquisition cost and utility extensions but would improve northwest coverage less dramatically. The consultants presented preliminary cost ranges that varied with assumptions about land acquisition and site complexity; they cautioned that those ballpark figures could increase with escalation if construction were delayed.
Councilmembers focused their questions on response‑type data and potential impacts to on‑call firefighters who live near the current station. City Administrator Wilson said land‑purchase opportunities can arise quickly and asked whether council wanted staff to be prepared to act if owners offered to sell. Several councilmembers expressed hesitation about using parkland for a station, and others urged planning for long‑term needs while prioritizing an upcoming central maintenance facility.
After questions, Mayor opened the floor for further discussion and a motion. Council voted to accept the phase‑2 report and to file it with the city clerk; staff said they will bring options back if a willing seller or other opportunity emerges.
The study does not commit the city to buy any specific parcel or set a construction timeline. Next steps described by the consultants and staff include monitoring market opportunities, refining cost estimates during capital‑planning, and coordinating with municipal bond advisors and utility planners if the city decides to acquire land and advance design.
