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Council approves $9,850 study to evaluate converting Lindstrom city hall to police facility
Summary
The council approved a Leo A. Daly scope to study reuse of the existing 11,000‑sf city building for a Lakes Area Police Department station. The study will include space needs, a building audit, and expansion concepts; staff said funding will come from Fund 452.
City Administrator Dan Ondham (speaker 1) summarized a consultant proposal from Leo A. Daly to study whether the current Lindstrom city building at 13292 Sylvan Avenue could be reused as a Lakes Area Police Department facility.
Dan said the proposed study would evaluate roughly 11,000 square feet of city space (council chambers, administrative offices, community center, shared spaces, storage and mechanical areas). The work is divided into three parts: (a) a space‑needs assessment and recommendation memo, (b) a building audit and existing systems review identifying deferred maintenance and replacement needs, and (c) an expansion concept diagram with conceptual plans and a memo estimating reuse costs and next steps.
Dan told the council the consultant estimated a 2–4 week period to complete work once scheduled and quoted a fee of $9,850 plus about $100 in reimbursable expenses. He said the city has funding in Fund 452 (police building fund) that would pay for the study if approved. Dan noted that a bonding bill did not pass at the state level and that the city faces roughly a $4,000,000 gap if pursuing new construction, which made reuse evaluation timely.
Council members asked technical questions about scope (including exterior bathrooms and ballistic/glass/security needs for a police facility). Dan said Leo A. Daly has prior experience with public safety buildings and would evaluate those requirements as part of the study.
A council member moved to approve the Leo A. Daly proposal and use Fund 452 to pay for the study; the motion carried. The approved deliverables will be used both to evaluate potential reuse and to inform the city's 10‑year capital plan.
Why it matters: the study will provide cost estimates and a concept plan that the police commission and council can use to weigh reuse versus new construction; staff said reuse could be significantly less per square foot but cautioned results may change after detailed inspection and required security upgrades.
Next steps: consultant work to begin once schedules align; staff will return the study memo and cost estimate to the council for review.
