This ribbon cutting is not just a new building. It represents growth, progress, and a long-awaited investment in the services that keep our city running smoothly.”

Mayor Myron Bailey

Cottage Grove officially has a new utilities and engineering building.
Gathering last week Thursday, Feb. 13 towards 9:30 a.m. at 10875 Ideal Ave. S., city staff and council members gathered with others to mark the milestone. Approved for a budget of $14 million, favorable construction prices allowed the city to build the new utilities and engineering building for a total of $13.2 million, saving $800,000. Mayor Myron Bailey led the ribbon cutting ceremonies.
“Obviously we’re hitting a very important milestone in Cottage Grove and not just Cottage Grove,” Bailey said. “This ribbon cutting is not just a new building. It represents growth, progress, and a long-awaited investment in the services that keep our city running smoothly. Today we celebrate the completion of our new utilities and engineering building which is located just north of 110th Street next to the Low Zone Water Treatment Plant.”
Breaking ground April 23 of last year, the new utilities and engineering building replaces the city’s old utilities building, located at 8635 West Point Douglas Drive and dating to 1976, last remodeled in 1998.
All told the new utilities and engineering building off of Ideal Avenue will have 35,544 square feet of space, overseen in its construction by Kraus Anderson.
“This is truly a significant moment for our community and the vision of everyone involved,” Bailey went on. “City staff, city council, and of course the residents of Cottage Grove who support and trust us to deliver services each and every day. The facility which spans over 35,000 square feet will provide much needed space for our utilities and engineering teams who have long outgrown our existing facilities.”
Calling the building a “vital step” in ensuring the city’s continued ability to grow and provide services to residents, Bailey closed by thanking city staff and those who constructed the building for their involvement and work on the project.
“I want to personally thank our city administrator Jennifer Levitt and our public works director Ryan Burfeind who is right next to me here and the entire team for their hard work and dedication to making this vision become a reality. And of course, a special thanks to Kraus Anderson, Wold Architects and SnapTec who are our designer and construction partners who brought this project to life. Let’s celebrate this fantastic accomplishment together and look forward to the great things this facility will achieve for residents and Cottage Grove going into the future.”
Bailey then turned things over to Public Works Director Ryan Burfeind.
“I think you did a really good job of summarizing what this department means to our department and the city as a whole,” Burfeind said. “Without their support in allowing us to build this facility we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Recounting the start two years prior in January 2023, Burfeind said the department and council had done a walk-through of the old facility
“And they went all over the entire site with us,” he said. “They saw how crowded we were and how much of a need this facility was.”
From council approval the process moved to building design, resulting in the present utilities building. Taking place at the same time as construction of the low zone water treatment plant just south, having two projects at once was challenging.
“It was a challenge, different companies and different subcontractors,” Burfeind said.
With two buildings close by, making sure they matched aesthetically involved many choices.
“If I never have to look at another tip up concrete panel, I’ll be happy,” Burfeind said. From there it was ion to a final thank you, especially city staff.
“That leads me to my final thank you and that’s to our staff,” Burfeind said. “This really was a team effort as we went through the design process and everyone that’s going to work here, help maintain this facility, I felt very strong that they should be part of the process of designing it, because it really does need to work for them…With that I want to thank everyone for their hard work, dedication, and getting us to where we are today, he said. “So thank you everyone.”
From there it was on to ribbon cutting, performed by Burfeind.
“Three, two, one,” said Mayor Bailey as the ribbon was cut. “We are official.”