Mayor Dan Roe delivered the State of the City address on Monday. Image via CityofRosevilleMN on YouTube.

City report details rising service demands and major projects across departments

By Sommer Wagen & Max Jasper

Mayor Dan Roe emphasized steady growth, strengthened public safety and expanded community engagement in his 2026 State of the City address, released Monday on YouTube. The annual update outlined major investments across public works, emergency services, parks, finance and community development. Roe said the goal is to maintain Roseville’s core services while preparing for future needs.

“This year, the city of Roseville has been focused on maintaining and improving the core services that help to make our community a great place,” Roe said. “We also continued working to strengthen transparency, expand opportunities for engagement and ensure residents have meaningful ways to share their perspectives as we make decisions that shape our city’s future.”

Here are the highlights from each sector.

Public Works

Roe detailed progress on one of Roseville’s largest upcoming infrastructure projects: a new maintenance and operations center funded by a voter-approved half-cent sales tax in 2024. The city spent 2025 selecting a site plan, hiring architects and a construction manager and forming a stakeholder design group of residents, business owners, commissioners and city leaders. Construction could begin as early as fall 2026 with full completion expected in 2030.

The city also plans to relocate and rebuild its license and passport center to accommodate the new facility.

Other public works updates included:

• A switch to Waste Management for recycling services and rollout of new recycling carts
• A sustainability team that hosted a clothing swap and more than 18 community events
• Preparation for about $9.6 million in construction projects
• Major roadwork underway on Snelling Avenue, Fairview Avenue, County Road C and Highway 280

Fire Department

Roseville hired 15 new firefighters this spring with help from a nearly $4 million federal grant. The additions bring the department to 39 full-time firefighters as the city experiences its sixth consecutive year of record call volumes. Roseville Fire responded to 7,500 emergency calls in 2025.

All firefighters are trained EMTs and 21 are certified paramedics who can perform advanced lifesaving procedures such as administering medications, restarting a patient’s heart and intubation.

The department also added:

• A new advanced medical vehicle
• One of Minnesota’s first electric fire engines, which replaces a diesel model and reduces emissions

“These investments are both financially prudent and environmentally responsible,” Roe said.

Police Department

The Roseville Police Department hired four new officers and two new sergeants at the start of 2026 with support from a $500,000 federal grant. The department now has 66 full time sworn officers responding to rising call volumes. Officers handled nearly 45,000 incidents last year, which was an all time high.

Roe highlighted several initiatives:

• Expanded social work support and homeless outreach
• Continued pursuit of grants to reduce taxpayer impact
• A retail unit at Rosedale Center focused on business partnerships and retail-related crime
• Steady progress toward full department accreditation, a voluntary process of adopting professional standards that “promote consistency, transparency and accountability,” per the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
• AI-assisted report writing for non-criminal cases
• Translation services for body cameras

During Operation Metro Surge, Roe said the city prioritized public safety, community trust and clear communication.

Parks and Recreation

Roseville’s parks system includes 33 parks covering 680 acres. The city continued to invest in improvements in 2025, including:

• A more inclusive playground at Lexington Park
• New siding and monument signage at the Harriet Alexander Nature Center
• Upgrades to irrigation systems, skating center lighting and dehumidification and a new OVAL scoreboard
• A new Zamboni ice resurfacer for year-round skating

The city secured more than $900,000 for natural resource and sustainability efforts, planted nearly 400 new trees and completed restoration work across 45 acres in 12 parks.

Finance

Roseville welcomed new finance director Samuel Magarano, who is working with city leadership to maintain compliance, improve transparency and manage costs as public safety grants phase out.

The city launched its first Popular Annual Financial Report, which is designed to make financial information more accessible to residents. Other updates included improved tracking of police contracted overtime and enhancements to recreation registration software.

Community Development

Roe described 2025 as a landmark year for redevelopment. Three major projects are beginning construction in 2026:

• A 150,000 square foot industrial technology building at the former Pick Terminal site
• A 125,000 square foot medical research and laboratory facility at the former Roseville Corporate Center
• An 81,000 square foot Minnesota State Patrol headquarters on Commerce Street

According to Roe, these projects will bring hundreds of jobs and expand the city’s tax base. The city also secured nearly $3 million for environmental cleanup, authorized $950,000 for housing loan programs and implemented adult-use cannabis zoning that allowed Roseville’s first dispensary to open in late 2025.

Commercial activity remains strong around Rosedale with new EV charging stations and several new or relocated businesses. Roe noted that the city expects significant redevelopment activity at HarMar Mall and intends to be closely involved due to the site’s proximity to residential neighborhoods.

Roe concluded the address thanking residents for their involvement and encouraging them to enjoy Roseville’s parks, nature center, concerts at The Rog and summer community events.