Mendota Heights council trims municipal campus plan, keeps option to expand later

The Mendota Heights City Council on June 16 directed architects to reduce the initial size of the proposed Municipal Campus — which will house a new police station and City Hall — and to design it so it can be expanded later if needed. City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson told the council the design team would shift from a “build once, future-ready” 20-year footprint to a smaller configuration that meets current needs.

Mayor Levine and several councilors said the decision responds to resident input that the earlier design was too large. Councilor Maczko said participants who provided public feedback made a difference and urged the city to lower upfront costs; he also said the council has identified multiple potential replacement sites for the ballfield that would be removed under some design options and that a temporary field could be in place by this fall.

Jacobson said the project has been awarded a grant, but the council has not yet decided whether to accept the grant because certain grant conditions could change the net cost to the city. City Attorney Amy Schmidt reminded the council that the authority to accept and finance the project rests with the City Council and that capital-improvement bonds are subject to reverse referendum under state law, giving residents a formal opportunity to challenge the financing.

Councilor Mazzitello summarized the council’s guiding principles for the project: fiscal responsibility with transparent scope and costs, long-term value to residents, efficient public-safety and municipal services, and co-location of services to maximize convenience and safety. He also reiterated the council’s commitment to replacing the baseball field elsewhere in the community and offered to work with staff to identify and develop alternative sites.

The council and staff said they will continue coordinating with legislators and state officials to determine whether accepting state bonding will reduce overall costs after accounting for grant conditions. No formal vote on the project’s financing or final design was taken at the meeting; the council gave direction to staff and the architects to return with revised designs and cost estimates.

Next steps: staff will pursue revised design options and cost estimates, coordinate with legislators about bonding, and provide updates to the council and public at future meetings.