The Municipal Service Center, or MSC, houses 60 large city vehicles, such as dump trucks and street sweepers, as well as smaller equipment. The MSC is also home to the offices of many city divisions, such as utilities and public works. And, after a year-long, $9.5 million remodel, the MSC re-opened in September 2010 with an additional 53,000 square feet of space and revamped meeting areas.
This building houses the offices of many St. Louis Park city departments, including community development and administration. Town residents can come to the building to pay utility bills or to acquire various city licenses and permits. City Council meetings are also held here, with regular meetings falling on the first and third Monday of each month at 7:30pm.
Staring Lake Observatory houses a Cassegrain telescope – a 9 foot tall telescope with a 16 inch reflector, and the observatory was built by the City to contain it. The Staring Lake Observatory offers Star Watch classes, where people get the opportunity to look through the telescope and learn about various celestial bodies and events. Upcoming Star Watch classes can be found in the Outdoor Section of the Parks and Recreation Program Guide, as well as the Observatory Events calendar.