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Dearborn Heights council backs Beach Daly site as state warns $10 million grant could be lost
Summary
Council authorized design work for a new fire station at a Beach Daly site after the city's state representative and fire chief warned a $10 million state community enhancement grant could be reclaimed if the city does not move quickly.
The Dearborn Heights City Council on Oct. 14 approved moving forward with design work for a proposed new fire station at a site off Beach Daly and authorized staff to continue site planning.
The move came after State Representative Erin Burns and Fire Chief (Chief Bridal) urged the council to act quickly, saying the city risks losing a $10,000,000 state community enhancement grant if it does not show progress. "The risk of a clawback of the $10,000,000 is real," Burns said, adding the grant expires on Sept. 30, 2026.
The council approved the motion to "approve the proposed site at Beach Daly and authorize the initiation of the face designs outlined in 9A," a motion moved by Councilman Hassan Saab and seconded by Councilman Constance. The motion passed by voice vote.
Why it matters: Council members and presenters said the existing Beach Vail/Warren-area fire station is in deteriorating condition, and firefighters currently operate from a building that has plumbing and structural problems. Chief Bridal described sewage entering the station and chronic roof and floor heaving that have created trip hazards and compromised daily operations.
Representatives of Partners in Architecture presented feasibility work and preliminary site concepts. "The potential new site off Beach Daly offered the amount of frontage" needed for apparatus bays to exit directly onto the road, said Lauren Lee, the project's lead at Partners in Architecture. Lee said the firm's assessment recommended operating from the existing facility while building a new one and that the Beach Daly location provides circulation and frontage advantages compared with other candidate sites.
The council and presenters discussed operational design details: Partners showed preliminary layouts for a five- to six-bay apparatus plan, separated public parking and apparatus circulation, and said a six-bay station is preferred to allow space for future growth. Council members and the chief emphasized safety around nearby schools and school drop-off traffic as a site-selection factor.
Timeline and cost context: Partners estimated about 18 to 24 months from design to substantial completion once design and bidding begin. Burns told the council that the state awarded the $10 million as a one-time allocation tied in part to federal ARPA funds and noted the award is rare. "When we show that we can use this $10,000,000 in the way that it was meant to be utilized,' that will enable advocacy for additional state dollars," Burns said.
Next steps: The council vote authorizes schematic design work and establishes a council oversight group to receive updates as the project proceeds. Councilman Saab and Councilman Tom Winslow were added to provide oversight of the design work.
The council did not finalize construction funding beyond the state grant during the meeting. Presenters and council members said further engineering, soils and lot-line verification, ordinance analysis and follow-up public input will be part of the schematic and design-development stages.
Ending: Presenters asked the council to provide preferences on the two concept options shown; several council members and the chief signaled a preference for the option that afforded higher interior ceiling heights and direct apparatus egress. The city will return to the council for future approvals as design milestones are reached.
