Cedarburg Weighs Fire Station Options Including Cedar Point Park Baseball Field

The Cedarburg Common Council is scheduled to consider several long-term options for the Fire Department on Monday, Sept. 28, ranging from repairs to the existing station to construction of an entirely new public-safety complex.

One of those options would build a combined police and fire facility at Cedar Point Park, using more than half of the park and eliminating its baseball field.

No decision has been made to build at Cedar Point Park, and the city is considering several alternatives. But because the proposal could substantially change an existing public space, it is worth watching for families, youth sports users and anyone who spends time in Cedarburg’s parks.

The Common Council meets at 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at Cedarburg City Hall, W63 N645 Washington Avenue. City of Cedarburg

See the City of Cedarburg’s official overview of the fire facility options

Why Cedarburg is considering changes

Cedarburg has been studying the long-term needs of its police and fire facilities for several years.

The city says the current discussion builds on a series of reports and facility studies, including a Fire Department renovations report, a broader public-safety building study and earlier regional analysis of Fire/EMS services. Cedarburg has also been evaluating how its facilities need to change as staffing and emergency-service demands grow. City of Cedarburg

The Cedarburg Fire Department currently includes both full-time and paid-on-call personnel. According to the department, it responded to 1,581 fire and EMS calls in 2025 and plans to add additional full-time paramedics in 2027–28. City of Cedarburg

That growth is part of the reason the city is looking beyond routine repairs.

Five options are on the table

City staff has outlined five primary paths for the Common Council to consider.

1. Make only essential repairs — $4.4 million

The least expensive option would address deferred maintenance and critical building needs at the existing Fire Department facility.

According to the city, this approach would not add several features viewed as important for a modern fire station, including sleeping quarters, improved public access and some health-related spaces. City of Cedarburg

2. Renovate the existing Fire Department — $10.5 million

A larger renovation could extend the useful life of the current station by approximately 20 years.

This option would keep the department at its existing location and minimize disruption, although the city notes additional expansion could eventually be needed if Cedarburg’s population, staffing or emergency-call volume grows faster than anticipated. City of Cedarburg

3. Build a combined police/fire facility at Cedar Point Park — $45 million to $52 million

The city owns the land at Cedar Point Park, making it one potential location for a consolidated public-safety facility.

The city’s description says the project would take over more than half of the park and remove the baseball field. It is also the most expensive option currently listed, with an estimated cost between $45 million and $52 million. City of Cedarburg

The proposal remains only an option under consideration.

Cedarburg has not selected Cedar Point Park as the site, approved construction or voted to remove the baseball field.

What would that mean for Cedar Point Park?

The city has not yet presented a final site plan for a Cedar Point Park facility as part of this current decision.

What the official Sept. 25 summary does make clear is that a combined police/fire facility there would occupy more than half of the existing park and eliminate the baseball field. City of Cedarburg

That makes this more than a facilities-financing question.

If the Cedar Point alternative remains under serious consideration, the city would eventually need to address what happens to the recreational space and whether the baseball field would be replaced somewhere else.

Those details have not yet been determined.

For families planning other Cedarburg outings, you can find more local parks, events and attractions in our Cedarburg family guide.

4. Build a new standalone fire station — about $35 million

Another alternative would build an entirely new Fire Department station at a yet-to-be-determined location.

The city estimates that option at approximately $35 million.

One potential advantage would be the ability to choose a location based on current and future emergency response needs instead of remaining tied to the existing site.

The major challenges are cost and finding appropriate land. City of Cedarburg

5. Spend $17,800 on a fire station location study first

The least committal option would be to commission a $17,800 Fire Protection Location Study before settling on a site.

The study would examine where a future station could be located to optimize emergency-response times throughout Cedarburg and its service area.

That could potentially identify alternatives beyond the sites currently being discussed. City of Cedarburg

This has been a long-running planning process

The current debate did not appear overnight. Cedarburg maintains a Public Safety Facility Planning page documenting earlier studies and potential concepts.

Previous discussions have included renovation of the existing police and fire buildings as well as concepts for a combined facility at other locations, including the existing Police Department site and privately owned property near Webster Middle School. City of Cedarburg

The city’s broader 2025–26 planning initiative also included a public-safety building needs assessment alongside studies of parks, traffic, housing, wastewater infrastructure and long-range finances. City of Cedarburg

That context matters because Cedar Point Park is not the only location or strategy Cedarburg has considered.

Public-safety facilities can sound like a fairly technical municipal issue. The Cedar Point Park option makes this one different.

Families would potentially lose an existing baseball field and a substantial portion of public parkland if that concept eventually moved forward. At the same time, the city is weighing legitimate long-term needs for fire and emergency response infrastructure.

That puts two community priorities into the same conversation: providing modern emergency services and preserving recreational public space.

Cedarburg is also a community where parks and outdoor spaces play a major role in family life, from neighborhood recreation to major community events. You can find more ideas for a day in town in our Cedarburg guide, or plan ahead for family traditions like the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival and Ozaukee County Fair.

Has Cedar Point Park been chosen?

No. That is the most important point to keep in mind.

The Sept. 28 discussion involves five alternatives, and the Common Council is being asked to provide direction for Cedarburg’s 2027 Fire Department capital budget and longer-term planning. City of Cedarburg

The Council could favor renovation of the existing station.

It could pursue a new standalone station.

It could order the location study.

It could continue examining the Cedar Point Park concept.

Or it could take another direction.

Until the Council acts, the Cedar Point proposal should be viewed as one possible scenario rather than an approved project.

What happens next?

The Common Council meets Monday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Cedarburg City Hall. City of Cedarburg

The agenda calls for “discussion and possible action on Fire Department Capital Facility Options and Budget Direction.” City of Cedarburg

The most important thing to watch will be whether alderpersons narrow the choices.

If the Cedar Point Park option remains in the mix, several questions will become especially important:

• What would the actual site plan look like?

• Exactly how much parkland would remain?

• Would the baseball field be relocated elsewhere?

• What would replacing that recreation space cost?

• Would residents get additional opportunities to comment before a site is selected?

• How would the $45–$52 million project be financed?

For now, Cedar Point Park is one option — not a decision.

North Shore Family Adventures will follow what the Council decides and update this story as the public-safety facility discussion moves forward.

View Cedarburg’s official Sept. 25 announcement and facility options

Explore Cedarburg’s Public Safety Facility Planning materials