Frequently Asked Questions: Public Works

Golden Valley residents rely on the City to provide a wide range of essential services, such as maintaining streets, parks, and water and sewer systems and providing emergency response and public safety.

Over the past several years, the City has been assessing its aging public buildings to determine where improvements are needed. It concluded that the buildings that house the Police, Fire, and Public Works Departments can no longer adequately support the efficient delivery of City services.

That is why the City has put forward a new long-term plan that will invest $105 million for the land and construction of a new Public Works building and a new Public Safety building that will serve as the headquarters for the Police and Fire Departments.

Over the last seven years, the City has pursued an extensive facility needs review process to gain a better understanding of the challenges at its aging buildings.

During that time, residents played an important role in helping identify top priorities for new investments through community meetings, surveys, and a task force. The City then developed an investment plan that State lawmakers reviewed during the 2023 legislative session and authorized it to present a 1.25 percent local sales tax option to voters on November 7, 2023. The funds raised from the local sales tax will be used for the new Public Works and Public Safety facilities.

The City's Public Works operations would be relocated from downtown Golden Valley to a new facility in a more appropriate industrial area, reducing conflicts with downtown guests, visitors, and surrounding land uses.

The new Public Works building will consolidate operations and provide more efficient storage and work spaces. This would improve overall operational efficiencies for a variety of Public Works services, including water, sewer, and stormwater systems; road maintenance and snow removal; park and trail maintenance; and more.

The Public Works Department is responsible for managing a wide range of essential public infrastructure and services, such as water, sanitary sewer, and storm water systems; road maintenance and snow removal; park and trail maintenance; and other critical municipal operations. These operations are spread across three different buildings, meaning staff often must travel between buildings to carry out their essential daily jobs, leading to lag times in services and increased labor costs. In addition, cold storage and bulk materials are stored off-site, further reducing efficiency and complicating day-to-day operations. Consolidating these functions into a single modern facility would improve coordination, streamline operations, and enhance the City's ability to provide timely, cost-effective services.

Inadequate space at these buildings also means they cannot accommodate today’s larger vehicles, storage for tools and equipment, equitable and inclusive accommodations for staff, and are not fully ADA compliant.

Please refer to the 2025 Municipal Facilities Study update here: https://www.goldenvalleymn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5213/Golden-Valley-Public-Works---Space-Program-2025-Update?bidId= for estimated square footages. Final building sizes will be determined through the design process once an architect and construction manager are onboard.