Archive for category FIre Stations

Mount Prospect Fire Department news

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Mount Prospect will spend more than $1.7 million to remodel the former Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District station for use by village firefighters. Funding for the work will come from the village’s capital budget and interest earned on general operations funds. The village board is expected to approve the spending on Tuesday.

Officials said the estimated price tag does not include village labor costs for public works employees who will be working on the project.

The Mount Prospect Fire Department expects to have the building at 1415 E. Algonquin Road staffed in July as the department has begun providing fire protection and emergency services to the area previously served by the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District, which ceased operations in October.

The station, which has had two additions since it was built in 1982 does not a layout conducive to today’s needs.

Village staff initially considered hiring a Mount Prospect-based construction management firm to lead the project, but was concerned that it would could cost as much as $2.7 million. Instead they  decided to use public works employees and contractors. The management firm will still receive $120,000 for producing initial plans used in determining an estimated cost.

The public works director said the final cost estimate, developed by the buildings foreman and a fire department battalion chief, did not include in-house labor costs. 

thanks Rob

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New use for old Chicago firehouse (more)

This from Dennis McGuire, Jr:

Excerpts from chicagoblockclub.com:

The rehabilitation of two historical Jefferson Park buildings could help revitalize the neighborhood, and the developer is looking for tenants.

For the past eight years, developer Tim Pomaville has been working to transform the Jefferson Park firehouse at 4841 N. Lipps Ave. into a mixed-use residential development. The initial plans involved Lake Effect Brewing Company setting up its taproom on the ground floor, but years of delays and complications to buy and rezone the property prompted the brewery to pull the plug in 2022.

Ambrosia Homes, Inc. has similar plans for the Lero building at 4762 N. Milwaukee Ave. Pomaville. Both buildings are ready for commercial tenants to draw people to Jefferson Park. Ambrosia Homes unveiled plans to invest $2.4 million into the former Jefferson Park firehouse in 2018.

Built in 1906, the firehouse has been vacant for years. The city council agreed to sell the property to Ambrosia Homes in 2021 as part of its $1 land sale program. Ambrosia paid $208,000 to the city, which used the money for remediation reimbursement. Lead paint and asbestos had to be removed from the fire station.

With Lake Effect’s taproom on the ground floor, the plan was to add a third floor and building nine apartment units in the upper levels.

The property had to undergo a zoning change in 2020, and a liquor sales ban was lifted along the street in 2021. After six years of waiting, Lake Effect couldn’t weather any more delays as its lease at 4727 W. Montrose Ave. was up at the end of 2022, the owner said at the time. Instead, the brewery found a different location.

Now, Ambrosia Homes is looking for another business to take over the space. The ground floor could be split into two 4,000-square-foot units that would each be rented for about $3,700 a month. Plans for the residential portion of the building have also changed. The firehouse will likely remain two stories, and the upstairs will have four apartments.

While some potential tenants have asked about buying the firehouse, Ambrosia Homes is not looking to sell.

Named after its former owner, the building functioned as a billiard hall and amateur boxing ring in the 1920s. Over the years, the two-story bow truss building has also housed a relief center for people struggling with food insecurity, a community hall and a furniture business. The building has largely sat vacant for the past 30 years.

The Lero is a prime location just a short walk from the Jefferson Park Blue Line station and next to a cannabis dispensary called Cannabist, which revitalized two empty storefronts in 2022.

Like the Jefferson Park firehouse, the Lero’s ground floor could be split into two 5,000-square-foot units. Rent for each would be $3,800 a month, but Ambrosia Homes is willing to sell the building for $695,000.

If Ambrosia retains ownership of the Lero, they plan on building six apartments on the upper floor and are considering adding a third floor. The building has six parking spots in the back.

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Oswego Fire Protection District news

The Village of Oswego will donate a parcel of land on Wolfs Crossing to the Oswego Fire Protection District to build its fifth fire station. The Fire District’s Board of Trustees will consider the donation at its February 12 meeting. Located at the southwest corner of Wolfs Crossing and Devoe Drive, the parcel is approximately one acre

From the Village of Oswego:

Village to donate land for new fire station

Location will provide additional services to Village’s east side

The Village of Oswego will donate a parcel of land on Wolfs Crossing to the Oswego Fire Protection District to build its fifth fire station. The Fire District’s Board of Trustees will consider the donation at its February 12 meeting. Located at the southwest corner of Wolfs Crossing and Devoe Drive, the parcel is approximately one acre.

In recent years the Fire District has advised the Village that a fire station is needed on the Village’s east side due to the current and projected growth in service demand. Establishing Fire Station Number 5 will provide additional fire protection, emergency medical and rescues services and will improve response times to better serve this area. A separate taxing body, the Fire District serves a total population of approximately 75,000 and has seen a 17% increase in calls for service over the last five years. “Donating this land to the Fire District is mutually beneficial for our community,” Village President Ryan Kauffman said. “It will ensure the safety of our residents and allow the Fire District to provide vital emergency services to this growing area.”

“This land symbolizes more than just acreage, it represents the unified approach from both the Village and the Fire District to continue to provide quality fire and EMS services to the residents, those that visit, and those that commute through our District,” Fire Chief John Cornish said.

The proceeds from the bond referendum the fire district passed in April 2023 will aid in the construction of the future station. The Village’s Planning and Zoning Commission will consider the Planned Unit Development for constructing the new station at its March 7 meeting. 

thanks Brian

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Hoffman Estates Fire Department news

A report on the condition of fire stations in Hoffman Estates

Village of Hoffman Estates Fire Station No. 21 & No. 22 Station Location Analysis, Facility Analysis, and Conceptual Design Study

thanks Martin

 

 

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Buffalo Grove Fire Department news

Excerpts from the journal-topics.com:

The year 2024 will be all about development in Buffalo Grove.

Public works, which is currently operating on Raupp Boulevard, is expected to move into their new facility farther north on Leider Lane by the beginning of October. Once public works employees relocate, employees at Fire Station 25 will move to the current public works facility while that fire station is rebuilt, a project that is slated for 2025. 

This year two department heads are expected to retire and once a contract is approved with patrol officers, every police officer will begin wearing body cameras. Additionally, the village board in March is expected to approve the implementation of automatic license plate readers so officers can detect if a car is stolen or if someone’s registration or license is expired or suspended. 

thanks Rob

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Rockford Fire Department news

Excerpts from rrstar.com:

When a major storm, catastrophic fire or disaster strikes, Rockford Fire Department personnel roll carts of computers, phones, and other equipment into a classroom at fire headquarters.

About 30 minutes later, the classroom is transformed into an emergency operations center where the response of dozens, if not hundreds, of emergency personnel can be coordinated.

Using a $1 million grant secured more than a year ago, plans are to build a dedicated and permanent emergency operations center on the first floor of Rockford Fire Department headquarters, at 204 S. First St.

The emergency operations center is used to assist and enhance the work of emergency dispatchers working in the fire department’s 911 center. Call takers in the center routinely field 27 calls an hour on average.

The Rockford City Council is considering a contract not to exceed $80,000 to acquire  architecture and engineering for the project.

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North Park Fire Protection District news

Excerpts from wifr.com:

North Park Fire Protection District officially broke ground Monday on its new fire station located at 1011 Harlem Road in Machesney Park.

The new building is expected to be finished in a year, will be 20,000 square feet, have private bunk rooms for the firefighters, larger classrooms, and will allow for more community involvement during fire events. 

Officials say it will replace three existing buildings which all date back to the 1950?s and 60?s. The new facility will be less expensive to operate, have more space for fire equipment, and will allow for a faster response time to the community.

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Rockford Fire Department news

Excerpts from mystateline.com:

The City of Rockford is considering a plan to build a $10 million fire station on the “Miracle Mile,” at the site of the former Magna grocery store on E. State Street.

Under the proposed plan, the Rockford Fire Department Station 10, at 3407 Rural Street, would be relocated to a newly constructed State Street station.

The Magna shopping center, formerly at 3915 E. State Street, also once housed an Osco Drug and Jewel, sat vacant for nearly two decades.

The city seized the building in 2020 and it was demolished later that year. A condemned strip mall next to the former grocer was also demolished in 2020.

The empty lot, next to the Don Carter Lanes bowling alley, has hosted multiple car shows over the years and was used as a pop-up drive-in theater.

However, the fire department says the site is in need of redevelopment, which would include improvements to Keith Creek, currently channeled under the parking lot.

The current Rural Street station is in need of maintenance and repairs, which have been put on pause since the idea of relocating to E. State Street was floated in 2020.

The fire department added that its location in a residential neighborhood slows its response time.

Planning for the new fire station would begin if the project is approved at Monday night’s city council meeting, and would utilize American Rescue Plan spending funds and TIF funds for improvement to the site outside of the new fire station.

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Urbana Fire Department news

Excerpts from wcia.com:

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The Urbana City Council has approved $1.5 million for building two new fire stations.

A grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity gave a total of $2 million to the city for community development, affordable housing, violence prevention, and administrative costs. The fire department said the Philo Road and North Lincoln Avenue stations are long overdue for upgrades, but using the money for the stations wasn’t a unanimous decision from the city council.

Some city council members were opposed to giving such a large sum of that money to the department, saying that the spirit of the DCEO grant was intended for economic opportunities in these low-income neighborhoods and not for the government buildings of these neighborhoods.

One new station will be built across the street from the current Philo Road location. The other will be between Goodwin and Bradley Avenues. The Philo Road station has not been remodeled since it was built in the 1970s.

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New fire station in Channahon

This from Jim Skrabel:

Channahon’s new fire station 2 construction is well under way after a several month delay due to vandalism. The address of the new station will be 23370 S. Thomas Dillon Drive.
#chicagoareafire.com; #ChannahonFD; #firestation;

Jim Skrabel photo

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