Hibbing’s new public safety building nears completion this fall

HIBBING, MN — Hibbing, Minnesota, the Iron Range city where the Daily Planet was founded, is nearing completion on a new Public Safety Building that will unite its police, fire and emergency medical services departments in a single, modern facility for the first time.

Construction manager Todd Erickson of Adolfson & Peterson told the Hibbing City Council the project remains on schedule for substantial completion around Nov. 16, with work roughly 64% to 65% complete based on the project timeline. Interior framing, mechanical systems and concrete work are progressing, with exterior window installation and building enclosure work expected to begin soon.

The approximately 63,000-square-foot facility is being built on the site of the former Central Range Public Works Facility along the Highway 169 beltline, according to engineering firm Widseth, which is providing mechanical, electrical and civil engineering services on the roughly $29 million project. Brunton Architects designed the building, and Adolfson & Peterson Construction is serving as construction manager.

According to Brunton Architects, the building will co-locate the fire and police departments with dedicated administrative spaces, training rooms, a shared fitness area, a secure sally port and holding cells, and indoor squad vehicle parking. The fire department will occupy 14 apparatus bays along with day rooms, bunk rooms and storage areas. The exterior will feature architectural precast panels with brick detailing meant to echo the character of Hibbing’s historic City Hall and high school buildings.

The project traces back to a November 2024 referendum in which Hibbing voters approved a half-percent local sales tax increase expected to raise $19.6 million over 20 years. Additional funding includes $10 million secured during the 2023 Minnesota legislative session and $1.5 million from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.

The council has continued approving change orders as construction progresses, including roughly $395,000 in cumulative adjustments tied in part to soil contamination mitigation at the site, the Mesabi Tribune reported in April. Councilors also authorized a 50% down payment of $155,199.91 for furniture for the new building after the final furniture package came in higher than originally estimated, per the Tribune’s most recent construction update.

Mayor Pete Hyduke, joined by state Sen. Rob Farnsworth, state Rep. Spencer Igo, Hibbing Fire Chief Erik Jankila and Police Chief Steve Estey, presided over the project’s groundbreaking last fall. Once complete, the facility is expected to improve emergency response coordination and give both departments modernized space for training and equipment that their current outdated buildings no longer provide.