Oak Grove is moving ahead with a new city hall and fire station after years of discussion about fire department space needs and maintenance issues at the current City Hall.
Mayor Weston Rolf said the project was not one city officials took lightly.
“It was something that we just needed to do,” Rolf said.
Rolf said discussions about a new fire station date back to at least 2019, when he was serving on the City Council. Since then, he said, Oak Grove has continued to grow, increasing the need for city services, staff space and space for groups that contract with the city.
Rolf said the current fire station does not have adequate space for firefighters to clean up after calls, including decontamination needs after fires.
“There was a lot of maintenance that would need to be done with the building, which, in fact, we got a quote to remodel,” Rolf said, “and add on some additional space primarily for fire. That would cost more to do that, as opposed to building the current one.”
That helped lead to discussions about a new building that would house both City Hall and the fire station.
The current City Hall has had ventilation and mold concerns, along with other maintenance needs.
“Honestly, I don’t want to use the word neglect, but the city hasn’t really for many years put much money into the building,” Rolf said.
Rolf said the city initially looked at a larger design, but cost estimates led officials to scale back the project. He said he had hoped the building would include space for deputies to start and end shifts there, as well as space for Allina to stage at the facility, but those additions were not feasible within the budget.
“If they want, they could,” Rolf said. “It’s not quite what we hoped for, there’s just not enough funding.”
The project is being funded almost entirely through a bond, Rolf said, because the city did not have a capital improvement account for the building. The levy increase tied to the bond took effect earlier in 2025.
Oak Grove Fire Chief Rob Engler said the department started many years ago in a public works garage and has since outgrown the space.
“There’s all kinds of needs,” Engler said. “Along with the trucks no longer fit in the current building.”
Engler said the trucks fit tightly in the current building, where firefighters also put on gear. The trucks must pull out while firefighters are in close proximity.
Engler said the current setup also increases contamination risks for firefighters.
“Our current station only has one shower,” Engler said. “The turnout gear is in bay with the trucks when they get started.”
The new building will include additional showers, reduced contamination risks and training space that Engler said could reduce the department’s need to spend money on outside training props. The facility will include a training room, dispatch center, dispatch room, report room and offices for department staff.
The facility also will include a fitness center for firefighters, who regularly do cardio and weightlifting to stay in shape for duty, Engler said.
The new facility is slated for completion in October 2026. As of May 2025, it was in the construction administration phase. The building will be located near the current City Hall at 19900 Nightingale St. NW.