City Hall & Fire Facility Financing

St. Francis, Minnesota

The Goal

St. Francis needed to replace its aging 1965 fire hall while also addressing long-term fire service demands and future city administrative space needs.

The Solution

Ehlers reviewed potential funding sources and evaluated the strategic use of debt to support the City’s capital improvement planning process. The team developed multiple debt scenarios to help the City forecast levy impacts and build internal funding capacity. In addition, Ehlers’ investment advisors assisted the City in putting idle bond proceeds to work in compliance with arbitrage regulations, unlocking additional resources to help fund the new facility.

The Outcome

The City Council authorized a $13 million bond issuance, enabling the replacement of the 1965 fire hall and the delivery of new fire service and administrative space. Construction was successfully completed by the end of 2024, meeting the City’s long-term public safety and operational needs.