Two of Springfield’s most underserved areas are getting brand-new fire stations while two of its oldest stations will be demolished and rebuilt, thanks to the renewal of the Level Property Tax in November 2017.
“We are keeping our promise to Springfield voters,” said Fire Chief David Pennington.
Two of the projects – Fire Station 13 in the 1900 block of West College in the West Central neighborhood and Fire Station 14 at the northeast corner of West Chestnut Expressway and North Duke Avenue – are brand-new stations, while two will replace Fire Station 4 at 2423 N. Delaware and Fire Station 7 at 2129 E. Sunshine.
Construction for stations 13 and 4 will begin in March 2020 and will be complete by December 2020. Construction for station 7 will begin in March 2023, with completion projected by December of that year. Bidding and construction for station 14 will be phased out over time as funding is available.
“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.”
Pennington said that Fire Stations 4 and 7, which were built in the 1950s and ‘60s, have long exceeded their usefulness.
“We look forward to replacing 4 and 7 with modern facilities and equipment,” he said.
The City recently purchased the lots for Fire Station 13 and is working to complete a lot combination and demolition of on-site residential structures.