The Springfield Fire Department broke ground Thursday for the city’s 13th fire station in the 1900 block of West College Street. The new fire station will be operational by fall 2022.
Funding for the new station, which has a project budget of $3.15 million, will be provided by the voter-approved Level Property Tax, which was renewed by Springfield voters in 2017.
“We are keeping our promise to Springfield voters,” said Fire Chief David Pennington.
The tax, which generates about $8.5 million per year, is also funding the replacements of fire stations 7 at 2129 E. Sunshine and 4 at 2423 N. Delaware, improvements to Fire Station 10 at 2245 E. Galloway St., and the brand-new Fire Station 14 at the northeast corner of West Chestnut Expressway and North Duke Avenue scheduled for construction in 2026.
Fire Station 4
Construction began in April for the nearly $3 million project to replace Fire Station 4. The rebuilt station be operational in spring/early summer 2022. The old station, which was built in 1968, had long exceeded its usefulness.
Improvements to Fire Station 10
Construction began July 12 for improvements to Fire Station 10 at 2245 E. Galloway St., which was built in 1979. The newly renovated station will be operational by January 2022. The $644,000 project will include renovation of the station’s kitchen, dining and living room spaces, physical fitness areas and sleeping quarters. The station’s laundry areas will also be updated to allow for the proper inspection, cleaning, drying and storage of turnout gear (firefighter protective clothing).
Fire Station 7
Demolition and construction to replace Fire Station 7, which was built in 1958 at 2129 E. Sunshine, will begin in spring 2022 and be operational by 2023. The total budget for the project is just over $3 million.
Fire Station 14
Construction for the brand-new Fire Station 14 at the northeast corner of West Chestnut Expressway and North Duke Avenue is planned as part of a 2026 bond package made possible by the Level Property Tax. The estimated cost for the project is not yet known.
“I am very excited about building two new fire stations in underserved areas of Springfield, both of which have high fire risk,” said Pennington. “These new stations will reduce the amount of travel time for our fire crews to reach emergencies in these areas.”