New Fire Station To Be Built In Southeast Edina, Not Rosland Park

EDINA, MN — The Edina City Council on Wednesday night voted to build a new fire station at a property on the city’s southeast side after many residents urged officials to reject an option to put it in Rosland Park’s parking lot.

Edina’s new Fire Station No. 2 will be at 4401 W. 76th St., where an office building currently stands, with the council unanimously voting to approve officials’ recommendation to build there.

The process for finding a location to rebuild Fire Station No. 2 — currently on York Avenue near the Southdale YMCA — started in 2018. Officials identified 27 potential sites before narrowing it down to two finalists — the West 76th Street property and Rosland Park — in February.

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Officials sought input and feedback from residents about the two sites, and “the majority of concern was received from the Rosland Park site,” Fire Chief Andrew Slama said in a memo to the council.

Most residents who commented preferred the West 76th Street site “due to its size, location and ability to support future development and growth,” Slama wrote.

The West 76th Street site is set to cost the city millions more than if the new station was built in Rosland Park, but officials recommended opening there after residents raised concerns about impacts on the neighborhood, safety and the park, Slama wrote.

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More than 250 residents also signed a petition urging the board to reject Rosland Park due to concerns about traffic, safety and greenspace, the Star Tribune's Kim Hyatt reported.

The West 76th Street property could cost Edina up to $15.3 million to purchase, plus about $800,000 to demolish existing structures on the site, according to Slama’s memo to the council. That site would also require $2 million in road and utility upgrades and another $1 million for soil correction and parking.

Slama’s memo shows the West 76th Street site could cost Edina $19.1 million, while building a new fire at Rosland Park would cost about $12.5 million. The city would have to spend no money to acquire property as it already owns Rosland Park, while there is also no need for demolition at that site.

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The Rosland Park station would require $2 million in road and utility upgrades, as well as $3 million for soil correction and $7.5 million to build a 300-stall parking structure, according to Slama’s memo.

Rosland Park would allow emergency responders to reach more of the city in six minutes or less due to its access to larger streets and highways, but the West 76th Street site will provide better response times for high-volume buildings in the southeastern part of Edina, the memo states.

“Anticipated development in the Pentagon Park district will afford this site to be well-positioned to serve future growth,” Slama wrote.

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Edina City Council member James Pierce said it would have been “irresponsible of us as a council” to not consider Rosland Park, due to its much lower price tag, but he believes the West 76th Street was “a good solution” to address the city’s needs and residents’ concerns.

An analysis published in 2018 by Five Bugles Design recommended officials build a third station near Edina City Hall within the next decade.

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