Police Station/City Hall Project Information

Take the Virtual Tour of City Hall by clicking here

The new Police Station and City Hall will be an important part of the revitalized downtown for decades to come, incorporating the downtown look and a thematic link between the lake, Lakefront Park and downtown.

The departments in City Hall that receive the most foot traffic, such as utility billing and recreation, are situated on the ground floor along with the council chamber and three of seven conference rooms available for public use. The other four conference rooms are located on the upper or lower level. We welcome and encourage community use of the meeting room facilities by Prior Lake citizens. Download this Meeting Room Request Brochure or call (952) 447-9800. The council chamber, which is easily accessed from the main entrance, can host groups of up to 80 people, with overflow seating directly behind the room’s back wall. Courtyard seating will be available when weather allows and landscaping is complete in the spring.

Because the work of the planning, building inspections and engineering departments are interrelated, their offices are grouped together on the lower, walk-out level. Finance, administration, economic development, communications and human resources are together on the upper level.

The new Prior Lake City Hall shows potential private investors we are here for the long haul. It will foster a robust downtown economy by drawing more people. It will facilitate community access governance and communication with its meeting space. In short, the new city hall will be a source of community pride for the next 40 years or longer.

History

Construction of Prior Lake's new police station and city hall facilities commenced in the fall of 2005 on the site of the old city hall building and city-owned property directly north of it.

Identified as a need in a 1993 evaluation of existing city facilities, the police station and city hall project is the fourth and final piece of  that 1993 puzzle. It follows on the heels of a new public library, maintenance center and fire station.

In 2002, the city identified its space requirements and evaluated potential sites. It settled on a site and building design and sent the project to bid. Along the way, the public played an important role during multiple com

ment opportunities.

In July and August of 2005, city staff moved

out of the existing city hall building

and into temporary locations. Administration, finance and recreation settled into the fire station, while engineering, planning and building inspections joined public works at the maintenance center. Police remained on the site of the old city hall building, settling into  the old annex building and a trailer.

A commemoration ceremony was held Aug. 1, 2005 at the site of the old city hall. Nearly 100 people attended, saying goodbye to a building that was an integral part of the community for more than six decades.

The city council awarded the bid for construction of the police station and city hall facilities to Shaw Lundquist Sept. 19, 2005.

Old city hall demolition took place in mid-October 2005 to clear the way for the new construction. A ground-breaking ceremony was held Thursday, Oct. 27 on the lawn next to the Prior Lake Library.

Budget

The budget for this project is $13.25 million.

The city set funds aside in its building fund for the project's down payment. A move applauded by Moody's Investor Service and enabled the city to write down the price tag with a $3 million down payment, which, in turn, lessened resident impact. The remainder of the project funding will come through the sale of $10 million in Economic Development Authority bonds.

The first debt service payment on those bonds will be made by the city in 2006. Payments will be spread out for 22 years, distributing the burden to existing and future residents alike.

Timeline

The police station opened Sept. 18, 2006 and city hall opened Dec. 18, 2006.

For more information

If you still have questions about the project after reading this story and viewing the downloadable items, please contact Police Chief Bill O'Rourke at (952) 440-3555.