Council approves memorandum with state to site new Fire Hall 1 on National Guard property

The council unanimously approved moving forward with a memorandum of agreement (MOA) authorizing the city to use a portion of state National Guard property for a new Fire Hall No. 1 and a training tower.

EDA staff and the fire chief summarized nearly two years of outreach and negotiation. The MOA would allow the city to design and build a new two‑story fire station with four drive‑through bays and an attached training facility on the armory site. In lieu of payment for the property the city would perform exterior site improvements at the armory, including vehicle/equipment storage surfacing and additional parking to accommodate a National Guard unit being relocated to the site. The chief said a new station would improve balanced coverage across the city, reduce overlapping service areas and avoid higher long‑term costs that would arise from trying to rehabilitate a 50‑year‑old facility in place.

Legal staff cautioned that the MOA contains a non‑negotiable reversion clause: if the city stops using the property as a fire hall, the property (and improvements) revert to the state. Fire department staff presented a budget estimate and a conceptual footprint; council heard the estimated project cost figure cited by staff and asked questions about staffing, station design, training facilities and coverage benefits. After discussion council voted unanimously to move the resolution forward.

What council authorized: moving the MOA forward for formal action and directing staff to advance design and planning work necessary for the project. Staff said the project budget was approximately $17.5 million as presented, and the proposed station would house 13 firefighting personnel with modern decontamination and training facilities.