Are Plans for a New Fire Station Up In Smoke for Good?

In 2009, the village purchased a three-acre site on 135th Street with the intention of building a brand-new Fire Station 1. The building was to replace the outdated station at 18 Montrose Drive with a modern facility. But tough economic times put the project on hold.

Now, the village is revisiting the issue.

During Wednesday night’s budget meeting, Village Manager Steve Gulden said village staffers are exploring whether it’s feasible to go ahead with the new construction—a project that could take seven to 10 years—or refurbish the existing 30-year-old fire station.

According to Gulden, an attorney for the village said the renovation could be funded with tax increment financing (TIF) district money under one condition.

“We can’t do any additions,” Gulden said. “But we can refurbish.”

Staff members are weighing the pros and cons of building versus renovating. A new building would cost more, with a price tag of about $5 million, according to Gulden. The village would also have to use its corporate fund to meet debt service payments on the project.

In addition, during construction, between $400,000 and $600,000 in TIF funding would have to be used to keep the existing station habitable until the department’s new digs are completed.

Pros for the new building include a modern facility with a better service radius, according to Gulden.

A refurbished building, on the other hand, could be completed within 18 to 24 months using TIF funding. The downside would be that the department would continue to operate out of a 30-year-old structure.

The village would also have to find another use for the three-acre site it purchased from a local cemetery. According to Mayor John Noak, the site, purchased for roughly $200,000, could provide much-needed green space.

“This village is losing park space left and right,” he said.

The total cost of renovation is still unknown, according to Gulden.

“If it costs $5 million to renovate it, it might not be worth it,” he said. “It boils down to funding. What can we do today to alleviate that building being falling down?

“Let’s look at it and see.”