In a special meeting Monday afternoon, the St. Cloud City Council approved the $6.8 million purchase of a 10.5-acre property at Nolte Road and Budinger Avenue. The property was previously St. Cloud Preparatory Academy and includes a total of 62,680 square feet of space.
The City plans to use the property to house Fire Department Administration and Fire Department Logistics, and it will be the temporary location for Fire Station 32 for two years while an expanded station is being built on Old Canoe Creek Road.
The previous plan was to remodel Fire Station 32 into a logistics building in 2025 at a cost of $500,000; to build an administration building in 2027 at a cost of $7.2 million; and to build a new logistics building in 2029 at a cost of $3 million. Those costs will be eliminated, along with costs of mold remediation for current Station 32 and relocation of logistics to a leased warehouse space.
“Just looking at the numbers, we originally had planned on about $10 million for these two projects, and we’re looking at pulling it off for about $6.8 million plus roughly $1.2 million for renovations,” Fire Chief Jason Miller told the Council Monday.
“I just want to say, ‘Outstanding job,’” said Council Member Shawn Fletcher. “Absolutely outstanding. You recognized that there is an opportunity for the City to save money…. This is obviously the first step, but I know with the growth of the city … that puts pressure on both the fire services and police services, and both chiefs are working diligently to address those. I couldn’t be more happy. So, thank you very much.”
Council Member Ken Gilbert agreed, saying, “I think it’s a brilliant find.”
To fund the purchase, Council agreed to increase the borrowing amount for an existing loan to a total of $19 million: $10 million for the 17th Street ballfields and up to $9 million for the Progress Lane property purchase and renovation.
“I think this is great,” Council Member Kolby Urban said. “Obviously, we prioritize and value public safety here in the City of St. Cloud, and I think this is a great step forward for that.”
