Minneapolis City Council approves plans for $18M safety center, including Third Police Precinct

"Better cross department training can result in more effective and efficient performance by our departments in times of crisis," explained Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette. "I believe this, project provides a great opportunity for us to have regional and inter jurisdictional partnership."

The city hopes to get $19 million from state bonding.

Barnette says the center will bring major improvements to the city and how first responders are trained.

"We want to be a leader in community safety reform, that requires a long term commitment," he told the City Council. "This project, of course, is an investment, and our employees who have some of the most challenging jobs in the city."

Also on Thursday, the Minneapolis City Council approved a bid of just over $18 million to construct the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center.

The safety center will include the Third Precinct Police station and other community services and resources.

Ward 12 Councilmember Aurin Chowdhury says residents have wondered when it will open.

"We have consistently given times and that those have been consistently moved back, and that remains to be a concern for several community members and a point of frustration," Chowdhury said. "But glad that this step is happening."

Project manager Kyle Erickson told the council the project's expected to move quickly, but did not give an opening date.

Councilmember Latrisha Vetaw says the current Third Precinct is not good enough for Minneapolis police officers.

"They're dealing with a lot of issues in that building," says Vetaw. "We were adjacent to them and I always thought I was sniffing black mold or something over there. So I can only imagine what's happening in the building with the Third Precinct officers."

Construction at 2633 Minnehaha Avenue South is expected to begin in May.

After several years of back-and-forth, the City Council decided against rebuilding the police station at the original, burned-out site in 2023 following significant debate, focusing instead on community-centered rehabilitation. The original precinct building was burned down during the riots and unrest that followed the killing of Derek Chauvin in 2020.