Villa Park fire chief Steve Stapleton pitches converting temporary firehouse into permanent Station 82 to save millions

Village Manager Mike Rebus opened Friday’s "Coffee with the Board" session in Villa Park, inviting residents to tour a converted recreation building and weigh in on whether it should become a permanent fire station.

Fire Chief Steve Stapleton told attendees the village faces persistent recruitment and retention challenges and widespread deferred maintenance at its two existing stations. "When you call 911, you need someone there," Stapleton said, arguing the department’s facility shortfalls were hindering staffing and operations.

Stapleton described the results of recent facility assessments for Station 81 and Station 82, citing mold in HVAC systems, an aging boiler, a crumbling bay floor and a basement at Station 82 that floods. He said those repairs often trigger code upgrades that expand the project’s scope and costs.

Because of those constraints, Stapleton proposed converting the temporary firehouse — a former recreation building the department currently occupies — into a permanent Station 82. He presented preliminary cost comparisons: roughly $800,000 to retrofit Station 82’s basement showers and repair the bay…