Our process
The Planning Process
A Step-by-Step Approach to Strengthen Public Safety and Fire Services in Vadnais Heights
For the past several years, the City Council, fire department leaders, staff and technical experts have carefully studied how to address the serious challenges at the South Fire Station.
This work has included:
2022–2023: The city began assessing conditions at station and the building’s ability to meet the needs of our fire department and community.
2023: BKV Architects completed a full evaluation of the station, including walkthroughs, condition reviews and initial cost estimates for both renovation and new construction.
2024–2025: The city studied whether renovating the station could address its challenges but found that it would cost within $3 million of the cost of building new while only providing a short-term fix before additional investment would be needed again.
May 2026: City Council gave preliminary approval to move forward with a plan to build a new, modern South Fire Station designed for how fire service works today
June 2026: After hearing significant questions and feedback from residents, the City Council decided to pause the project to restart the public engagement process with a renewed focus on transparency, education and community involvement
What comes next
The city is focused on re-engaging residents, answering questions and walking through our options — including how to pay for a new fire station and reduce costs for taxpayers.