RFPD was outgrowing its Elm Street police station.
The city hired St. Paul-based
Wold Architects and Engineers in 2017 to conduct a space needs assessment for the police department, which ultimately recommended the construction of a new station.
Plans were underway and funding approved for a $7.5 million construction project to begin in 2022; however, City Administrator Scot Simpson suggested refurbishing the property on Prairie Drive instead.
The building, constructed in 2004, was formerly home to the RiverTown Multimedia newspaper group, including the Star-Observer and River Falls Journal. River Falls Public Montessori Elementary also used the building for the 2019-2020 school year while its campus was being renovated.