Demolition crews have torn down a former auto body shop and gas station near Highway 100 in Golden Valley, clearing the way for a new East Fire Station as the city advances public safety and Public Works projects. The teardown is part of a broader plan the city calls Building Forward, which touches everything from fire stations to a possible new downtown library.
According to 5 Eyewitness News, Golden Valley is advancing a plan to upgrade several public buildings, with the demolished property set to become the site of a new East Fire Station. The project will consolidate the city's three fire stations into two, folding Fire Stations 2 and 3 into a single new facility. Per Building Forward Golden Valley, that East Fire Station is planned for 1875 Lilac Drive, and the city hopes to have it completed in 2028.
City staff say the fire station's location wasn't chosen lightly. Emily Goellner told the station's report that the city considered 30 locations before settling on the property with the best fire department response times. The current estimate for the East Fire Station sits at $19 million, and the project is funded through the voter-approved sales tax of up to $105 million for public safety facilities and Public Works.
Public Works Heading to a New Home Off Highway 55
The fire station isn't the only piece on the move. Golden Valley's Public Works department is relocating to a new facility just off Highway 55, according to the same KSTP report. Goellner said Public Works needed to shift to a more industrial location, and the city's own materials point to the spot: a new Public Works facility planned at 6100 Olson Memorial Highway.
The land assembly for that site recently wrapped up. The city acquired 6110 Olson Memorial Highway on August 1, the second of two properties needed for the future Public Works campus, the Building Forward Golden Valley site notes. City officials hope to have that facility completed in 2029, with the KSTP report placing the timeline more broadly at late 2028 or 2029.
Money for both the fire station consolidation and the Public Works move traces back to the ballot box. Golden Valley voters approved a local sales tax on November 7, 2023, and the tax will provide up to $105 million for public safety facilities and Public Works projects. Goellner said no property tax increase is anticipated for these projects at this time, and that the city aims to avoid tax increases through value engineering.
A Civic Campus Still Taking Shape
Beyond fire and public works, Golden Valley is developing a master plan to improve its civic campus, a separate and still-unsettled piece of the puzzle. Possible improvements floated for the campus include a public plaza, a library, and work at city hall, per the KSTP report. The Building Forward Golden Valley site adds that the master plan specifically includes consideration of a new Hennepin County Library.
The City Council selected Minneapolis-based Perkins&Will on December 16, 2025 to lead the Civic Center Campus Master Plan process, according to the city's timeline. Community turnout for the planning has been growing: roughly 140 people attended an open house in March, and that number climbed to about 150 in June, with attendees reviewing four concept scenarios, the city's timeline shows.
Residents have been vocal about what they want to see. Kathryn Sampson said downtown Golden Valley lacks a gathering point, and the KSTP report notes that residents broadly want a more identifiable downtown. Goellner said it is too early to determine how civic campus improvements will be paid for, and Sun Post reported in June that the total cost for the civic center revamp had not yet been determined.
For now, the city's own schedule has the master-plan work finishing by the end of 2026, after which officials plan to release a separate request for proposals for schematic design in late 2026 or early 2027, according to Building Forward Golden Valley. The city hopes to have Civic Center Campus construction completed by 2031, putting the fire station, the Public Works relocation, and the civic campus on a timeline that stretches out over the better part of the next five years.
