An aging infrastructure at the county’s training facility has Prior Lake city leaders looking for a new home to train its emergency responders. The answer may come with a price tag of more than $34 million.

During the city council’s Feb. 11 work session, the council discussed options regarding the Regional Training Facility in Jordan. The facility opened in 2008, but a consulting firm hired to assess the RTF by the Scott County Association for Leadership and Efficiency determined the facility has aged out of its useful life.

Consulting firm LHB has determined newer facilities in the Twin Cities would not have the capacity to handle training for all of the RTF’s tenants, which includes Prior Lake’s fire and police departments. A second study was commissioned to explore building a new facility at the current RTF site in Jordan.

Both Fire Chief Rick Steinhaus and Police Chief Liam Duggan emphasized their departments’ commitment to exceeding minimum state standards for training, and therefore the importance of a training center to facilitate that goal.

With multiple options presented by Leo A. Daly engineering firm, the council unanimously agreed to “take the lead” on championing a project on the existing site with all of the amenities needed for an RTF to last another 30 years.

The council expressed support for an option with an estimated price tag of $34.6 million, with the cost burden distributed among SCALE members. Each SCALE member will review the options and provide its recommendations by April.

Among features that could be included in the project are a new indoor shooting range and improved existing outdoor range; an improved classroom, defensive tactics room and virtual reality technology; an expansion of Class A burn props and training buildings; and expanded reality-based training scenario environments.