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Council forwards $6 million land purchase for proposed safety training and wellness center amid debate
Summary
City staff proposed acquiring a 4.77‑acre site in Ward 11 for $6,000,000 to develop a community safety training and wellness center; the Committee of the Whole voted to forward the acquisition 'without recommendation' after lengthy debate over cost, program details, siting and community process.
City staff told the Minneapolis Committee of the Whole on May 19 that the administration is seeking approval to move from a letter of intent to a purchase agreement for five parcels totaling 4.77 acres commonly identified in the presentation as "146 60th Street West" in Ward 11, priced at $6,000,000 with estimated closing costs of $100,000.
Barbara O'Brien, director of Property Services, outlined the project concept as a multi‑departmental "community safety training and wellness center" intended for 911, Minneapolis Fire, Minneapolis Police, behavioral crisis response, emergency management and neighborhood safety staff. O'Brien said programming and design remain to be developed and that the city used an independent opinion of value before entering the letter of intent; she warned the seller has set a May deadline to convert the letter of intent to a purchase agreement.
O'Brien gave cost context: the proposal lists a placeholder project budget of roughly $38 million inclusive of site acquisition (about $32 million to build the facility, per her remarks). She said comparisons to larger, more expensive campuses elsewhere are not apples‑to‑apples and that programming and cost estimates will be refined during design and schematic phases.
Council members split sharply. Supporters including Council member Palmisano and Schaefer argued site control is important to position the city for state funding and to secure an industrial parcel that is increasingly rare. Opponents such as Council member Osman and Wansley said buying land before agreeing on programming and funding is fiscally risky, raised concerns about siting a firearms range near residential areas, and urged stronger guardrails and community engagement before purchase.
Council member Whiting previewed a resolution to require a working group and explicit council approval of programming before issuing an RFP for design; others requested follow‑up materials including a fiscal comparison of current decentralized training costs, estimates of long‑term holding costs and maintenance, and the property services' third‑party valuation report. The committee voted to forward the item to the full City Council "without recommendation" (clerk recorded 10 ayes) so the full council can consider the purchase along with the requested follow‑up information.
The administration told the committee the typical next steps would be execution of a purchase agreement and a 90‑day due‑diligence period (inspections, environmental assessments), title and legal review, and an anticipated possession in September if the purchase proceeds.
