Waite Park Officials Tour New Public Safety Facilities

(KNSI) – Waite Park officials toured three Twin Cities public safety facilities on Tuesday as the city prepares to build its own combined police and fire station.

Staff and council members looked at buildings in Fridley, New Hope and Elk River to get some perspective on designs and layout. WPPD Chief Dave Bentrud says they are still in the information-gathering stage. “We really don’t know quite yet where we’re going to build. The location will probably play a big role in determining exactly what the facility might look like.”

Bentrud says the tour was very informative. All three departments told them to make sure they have plenty of storage space. “You never could have enough garage space was a common thing. That tends to be one of those areas that gets cut. You start with a dream facility and they got to cut it down, but don’t sacrifice on garage space.”

He also says the department will need space for conference rooms, interview rooms and some employee-friendly areas like a lounge.

Next week they will look at new facilities in Alexandria and Detroit Lakes as they continue planning the new building. In November, voters approved a half-cent sales tax to help pay for the new facility. Businesses will start collecting the tax on April 1st.

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