Brooklyn Park Fire Chief Shawn Conway has the City Council’s blessing to move forward with plans for the “best” of three options to replace the central fire station, even though it will be the most expensive.

Conway presented what a “good,” “better,” and “best” new station would look like during a city council meeting in late July, and provided a cost comparison for each of the three scenarios.

The city currently has four stations and the new one would replace the station at 5700 85th Avenue N., known as Fire Station No. 2.

“We are at capacity,” Conway told the council. He also told the council that Fire Station No. 2’s outdated design slows response times, does not follow best practices for firefighter health and safety, and limits training opportunities.

Brooklyn Park has been looking for a replacement for the station since 2019. The three options presented to the council ranged from $33 million for basic upgrades to $35 million for an expanded option to $39 million for a state-of-the-art facility.

“If we assume that our city will grow by another 15,000 to 20,000 residents in the coming years, it is better to invest $4 million in creating space and capacity now than later when it becomes more expensive,” said Council Member Christian Eriksen.

The rest of the council agreed. Members also said they would prefer to sell bonds to finance the project.

Conway said this week he now has “clear instructions” to finalize plans for the station, which would include a new maintenance hangar, additional dormitories, lockers and restrooms, and a wellness and conference room. Conway also said he could hire a construction manager by the end of the summer. The station would open in 2027.