Marshfield Council OKs police department, fire training plans

MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield Common Council has given the green light on two major public safety projects.

The first would transform Wildwood Plaza on the city’s south side into the new Marshfield Police Station, while the second would create a new fire department training center alongside Mid-State Technical College.

With the Council’s approval at the May 13 meeting, the departments can now move on to the next phases.

For the police department, that means developing an architectural design, which will be done by BKV Group for about $459,145. The overall project budget is $10 million.

Police Chief Jody Geurink said the Wildwood building does need work beyond the design, including a new roof and HVAC system, but ultimately would save taxpayers millions of dollars.

Meanwhile, the city’s portion for the fire department’s master plan comes in at just under $27,000, with Short Elliott Hendrickson chosen as the consultant.

Fire Chief Everett Mueller has said the training center would help the community in multiple ways, including keeping first responders close to the community, even during training.

He said there’s potential for mutual-aid partners to also use the training facility, which could help offset any costs. Mid-State Technical College also would be splitting those costs with the city, which Mueller said opens the department up for potential federal grants.