The department held tours last Thursday and again on Tuesday that took people through the existing facility, built in 1956 and renovated in 1989 and 2003.

The building at one time included the fire department and until recently served as City Hall in housing administrative offices. Central Dispatch still operates in the building but is anticipated to move to the new City Hall in about mid-November.

Capt. Justin Sundheim, operations commander for the police department, explained that previous renovations were adaptions, such as remodeling around the old jail that once existed.

“In fact, if you look through the ceiling tiles, you’ll see some notes from some prisoners way back in the day,” he said.

Jill Schramm/MDN Minot Police Chief John Klug speaks to police station visitors about building options presented by an engineering and architectural consultant.

The police station has thousands of pieces of evidence and other stored items in multiple locations around the building and additional multiple locations in the building used for patrol operations. The consultant’s report found the building’s use disjointed.

“So that’s just time spent where we’re just wandering around the building, trying to accomplish our job,” Police Chief John Klug said.

The consultant presented an option for renovating and expanding the building, estimated to cost $46 million to $52 million. Another option is finding a different site to accommodate new construction, costing an estimated $62 million to $70.7 million.

Klug said renovation is not always ideal.

“We’re still taking an existing building with a floor plan, and we’re making it work for what our operation should be,” he said. “That’s kind of how we got into the situation where we are now. We continued to expand because we needed space, but it was just space available. It wasn’t ideal space.”

Jill Schramm/MDN Capt. Justin Sundheim talks to members of a tour group, including Lianne Zeltinger, at right, in showing them a room lined with officers’ duffel bags.

He added the department’s current physical location was affected when anhydrous ammonia drifted from a train derailment west of the city in 2002. The building needed a 25-foot barrier wall to protect it during the 2011 flood. The department sits at a lower level than nearby ground, creating potential vulnerability for officers and high-value police vehicles.

“But, I understand it’s a big price tag,” Klug said of a new location.

The Minot City Council has received the consultant’s report but has not discussed next steps or a possible course of action regarding the building.