Timeline
After months of engagement, discovery and assessment, the project team presented four concept scenarios for public feedback on June 3 and June 17.
A survey on the four concept scenarios is available online here: https://arcg.is/190Sie3
Timeline
September 10, 2025: RFP for Master Planning Services posted
October 17, 2025: RFP for Master Planning closed
December 16, 2025: The Golden Valley City Council approved the selection of Minneapolis-based Perkins&Will to lead the City’s Civic Center Campus Master Plan process based on their expertise in blending a compelling vision - of resilience, sustainability, beauty, innovation, community, inclusion, and wellbeing. Their full proposal can be found here. At this meeting, the City Council also approved a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with Hennepin County for the campus planning effort.
March 2026: Online survey opened to solicit feedback on planning effort.
March 3, 2026: Open House at Brookview, 4:30-6:30 pm. In preparation for this event, the City sent postcards to every address in the City. Approximately 140 community members attended, engaging in a variety of activities designed to shape the future of the Civic Center Campus. Attendees collaborated with local artists to share their creative visions, participated in building a 3D model of the campus, and contributed to defining the community’s story. Hennepin County also spoke with participants about their vision for the Library. An overview of this phase of engagement is available here.
May 2026: Youth Engagement Survey available online. Project team also worked with local schools to provide feedback on the campus plan.
June 3, 2026: Open House at the Golden Valley - Hennepin County Library from 5 - 7 pm. Approximately 150 community members attended, reviewing 4 concept scenarios and providing feedback on each concept. In order to prepare for this event, the City sent postcards to every address in the City. Flyers were also put out at the Library and handed out to businesses adjacent to the campus.
June 2026: Survey on four concept scenarios available online.
June 8, 2026: Planning Commission work session on the four concept scenarios. Agenda available here.
June 9, 2026: City Council work session on the four concept scenarios. Agenda available here.
June 17, 2026: Information on this project was provided at the Public Safety Open House. About 175 residents attended.
July 12, 2026 and July 19, 2026: Information on this project will be available at the Golden Valley Farmer’s Market.
Project Phases
Public Safety & Civic Center Campus
Current Step: Site Design - Master Planning Next Step: Site Design - Schematic Design
The Golden Valley City Council approved the selection of Perkins&Will to lead the Master Plan process on Dec 16, 2025, with work to finish up by the end of 2026. Once the Master Plan is complete, the City will release a separate RFP for schematic design in late 2026 or early 2027. Construction will be begin once Public Works is fully moved off-site to their new facility. The City hopes to have the Civic Center Campus construction completed by 2031.
About the Project Phases
There are several key steps when it comes to building a new public facility. They can broadly be broken down into the following:
1.
Site Acquisition
Site acquisition is the process of identifying, evaluating, and securing land suitable for the project.
2.
Site Design
Once a site has been selected and acquired, the City can move into the site design process. The City publishes a Request for Proposal (RFP) to seek qualified firms to design the site. Once selected, architects and engineers create detailed plans for the facility. The design phase may have multiple phases, including:
Design Team Selection: Selecting a firm to create a design for a project
Master Planning: Developing an overall building and site concept
Schematic Design: Creating building and site architectural designs
Design Development: Refining of conceptual design and developing construction methods
Construction Documents: Illustrating exact project design specifications and outlining expectations for the contractor
3.
Site Preparation
After the site design is complete, the land is cleared and made ready for construction. This can involve demolition, grading, utility relocation, and environmental mitigation.
4.
Bidding
At this point, the project is put out to bid for contractors to submit proposals. Bids are reviewed based on cost, qualifications, and compliance with public procurement laws.
5.
Building
Once all prior steps have been complete, construction may begin, following the approved design and schedule. This includes ongoing inspections, quality control, and eventual commissioning of the facility for public use.
Milestones Along the Way
2025
On Dec 16, 2025, Golden Valley City Council approved the selection of Perkins&Will to lead the Civic Center Campus Master Plan process.
The City Council approved a Joint Powers Agreement with Hennepin County to share costs on the Civic Center Campus Master Plan.
2024
2023
During Minnesota’s 2023 legislative session, state lawmakers reviewed the City’s plan to build new Public Safety buildings and authorized the City to present to local voters a 1.25 percent sales tax option to generate funds to pay for the projects. The City completed a Local Option Sales Tax Analysis with the University of Minnesota Extension.
On Nov 7, 2023, Golden Valley voters approved the local sales tax to fund the new Public Safety buildings.
2021
Throughout 2020 and 2021, the Facilities Study Task Force engaged the Golden Valley community and gathered input through surveys, a virtual open house and a virtual forum, and meetings with downtown businesses, civic organizations, and various local groups.
In September 2021, the Facilities Study Task Force presented recommendations to the City Council for redeveloping City-owned facilities, which included how to best address the shortcomings of the Public Works and Public Safety buildings.
In December 2021, the City collaborated with technical experts to develop its Municipal Facilities Master Plan Study. The study combined the City’s long-term goals and needs assessments to create plans for the future of downtown Golden Valley and its facilities.
The City completed the Downtown Redevelopment Framework Plan with HKGi.
2020
The City completed the Golden Valley Downtown West Report with Urban Land Institute (ULI) Minnesota.
2018
The City created the Facilities Study Task Force in 2020 to further explore ways its public buildings could best serve the community and create new development opportunities in downtown Golden Valley.
The Facilities Study Task Force—made up of residents, business leaders, City staff, and a Planning Commission representative—laid the groundwork for development of a long-term plan to address the City’s building needs.
The City completed a Downtown Study Phase II interim report with HKGi.
The City completed the Downtown Golden Valley Walk/Bike Connectivity, Active Living Community Engagement Report with Hennepin County, HKGi, and Statewide Heath Improvement Partnership (SHIP).