In the past 12 months, Woodbury’s Public Safety Department responded to more than 57,000 calls and operated 215 programs. With that volume of work comes an increasing demand for space to serve the city, according to Chief Public Safety Director Jason Posel.

Woodbury’s current public safety building has been standing since 1975, with smaller improvements made to the facility along the way. However, the space itself has turned into tight quarters for Public Safety employees, some of whom will soon stay in the building overnight. In 2026, the building will be under construction and expanded into a full campus to accommodate the increasingly evolving department.

“Woodbury is expected to have 20,000 more residents by 2040; with that growth also means a growth of services to the community,” Posel said. “Effectively, we’re looking to construct and renovate portions of the building to be able to continue and grow with the community.”

The entire building will expand to the south, where the existing Washington County Service Center sits, to serve Woodbury’s EMS delivery, fire delivery, emergency management, police services and community support team, according to Posel.

“It’ll account for not only the growth of where we’re at right now, but our projected growth as we move forward and continue to build as a city,” Posel said.

Currently, the proximity of the entrance and exit for emergency vehicles is too close to Radio Drive, which creates a safety issue for the community and staff, Posel said, and is one thing the renovation will seek to address. EMS, fire and medical services will move to the south end of the campus to be farther away from Valley Creek Road near a controlled intersection to improve traffic, he said.

The model of the department has also changed to provide coverage 24 hours a day, which means staff will sometimes stay overnight in the building. An additional level will be added to a small portion of the building as EMS Fire quarters, according to Posel, where first responders can sleep in beds overnight.

The entrance area will be altered to create “a welcoming entrance for community members to have private conversations (with officials and staff) in dedicated spaces,” according to Posel. The department is also looking to add extra parking spaces for community members to have easy access to services.

Other key features include added security measures, a canine-specific area and a decontamination bay for vehicles, equipment and uniforms after responding to calls, Posel said. The campus will also have an expanded room for the community support team, which serves community members with mental health crises, substance abuse disorders and for those experiencing homelessness. Several other wellness features will also be added, including a fitness area for staff.“It’s important to continue to provide a high level of quality service to the community as the city continues to grow,” Posel said. “It will also allow for support of our current and expanding programs that serve the community.”

Funded by sales tax

The $60 million renovation is mostly funded through a 0.5% local option sales tax approved by voters last fall, which Posel said the department is grateful for.

“It’s a shared investment in the new public safety campus,” Posel said. “This is going to help address several issues, not just account for the growth of the community and of our services, but ultimately improve access to the community.”

During construction, some services will be provided at City Hall and the current Washington County Service Center building, which is in the process of moving in November to Woodlane Drive behind Kohl’s.

Other services, including emergency police, fire and medical services, will continue operating out of the three existing Woodbury fire stations at Thames Road, Fox Run Road and Upper Afton Road.

“Public safety staff and workers are thankful to the community for supporting the referendum, and for the support for public safety in general,” Posel said. “We do feel the community support, and it makes this a special place to work, and we do not take that for granted.”

The newly renovated Public Safety Campus is expected to fully reopen in 2028.