Mid State outlines 'Nexus' public safety training center; Stevens Point commission recommends moving forward pending site and agreement approvals

Mid State Technical College presented a proposal for a centralized public safety training complex — the “Nexus” — and the Police and Fire Commission voted to recommend moving forward with the project, pending approvals of the site plan, a lease agreement and a development agreement or memorandum of understanding with the city.

Dr. Shelly Mondyke, president of Mid State Technical College, told the commission that leaders from 62 agencies across the college’s eight‑county district identified a “critical need” for advanced, interdisciplinary training and supported co‑locating a training center with a working fire station and a satellite police station. “When we pull resources together, I believe the outcome is always better,” Mondyke said.

Dean Rick Anderson and Kurt Hoyer, Mid State’s director of law enforcement and jail academies, described a campus the presenters said would include classroom and lab space, an indoor rifle‑capable shooting range, a burn tower, an emergency‑village of scenario buildings, an EVOC track and a canine training area. The preferred site discussed is a roughly 36‑acre parcel on East Side Commerce off Badger Avenue. Mid State estimated early daily visitation at about 350 people and said the project would be built in phases as funding is raised.

Fire Chief Moody emphasized the public‑safety benefits tied to response times, noting placement of a third station on the east side would improve four‑minute engine coverage for parts of the city and allow ambulance response objectives to be met if a second ambulance were relocated. “Location is key,” he said, arguing the co‑location advances life‑safety and risk‑reduction goals.

Presenters said the model relies on a mix of fundraising, community and corporate partners, and matching public dollars; Mid State’s leaders expect a multi‑year fundraising phase (they estimated at least three years to raise initial building funds and a longer horizon to complete all props and facilities). The project team said Mid State’s board has given the go‑ahead to keep developing the plan and that the planning commission had already reviewed materials. Mid State proposed Mid State would manage day‑to‑day operations of the educational complex under a future agreement, while operational details for the fire station and police satellite would be specified in lease or MOU documents.

A commissioner moved to recommend proceeding with the Nexus and Station 3 on an unaddressed parcel, pending final planning approvals and agreement terms; another commissioner seconded the motion and it carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Commissioners and presenters said the item will next move through the finance committee and city council processes for further action.

The commission’s recommendation does not authorize construction; it asks city staff and Mid State to finalize the site plan, lease and a development agreement or MOU before further approvals.