MI Fire Apparatus Museum to Open Second Location Firefighters

BAY CITY, MI—A museum that focuses on fire trucks large and small plans to open a second location, this time in downtown Bay City.

The Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum at 3456 Patterson Road in Bangor Township is moving some of collection to a site at 115 Washington Ave. in Bay City, near the Bay Area Family Y.

The current museum contains a collection of over 60 fire trucks and 12,000 toys and was founded by Jimmie Dobson.

According to museum board members Eric Jylah and Paul Rowley, the museum is moving part of its collection into the new Washington Avenue location, which was recently purchased by the museum. The building used to house Bay City’s No. 3 fire station.

Rowley explained that the No. 3 station actually never had fire trucks housed inside of it. It exclusively held horse-drawn equipment. Once trucks came into the picture in the early 1900s and the horses were put out to pasture, Rowley said that they built a new station on Adams.

The museum board is working to refurbish the old station just started demolition on the interior in late November.

“It won’t be a historical renovation, but it’ll look like an old fire station when were’re done," said Rowley.

Rowley said that the plan is to have the renovations done over the winter so the museum can move exhibits in next spring.

The move was announced when the Downtown Management Board of Bay City presented a new five-year plan to the city commission as the group looks toward future development.

The DMB is required by the state to produce a new plan for the district every four years. The plan is required to list projects that are being worked on and completed, sources of funding, and special assessment plans.

The DMB on Nov. 18 brought forward a plan for 2020-2024 for the Commission to vote on. The plan passed 7-1, with Commissioner Andrew Niedzinski giving the lone no vote. Commissioner Christopher Girard abstained.

While the DMB mentioned the firetruck museum, the board also gave the Commission a quick preview of its other plans for developing the downtown district. The board is aiming to renovate the Wenonah Park bandshell by June 1. A plan is also in the works by the DMB to install gateway signs on Madison, Columbus, and Woodside, welcoming visitors to downtown Bay City.

This plan contains a 2020-2024 special assessment roll that is expected to generate $116,760 in revue, which is an increase of $6,700 and the funds will be held in an account managed by the city. The special assessment adds 35 new parcels thanks to expanding the downtown district’s borders toward Woodside and Columbus, with 25 of the parcels generating $6,700 in additional revenue. The remaining 10 are exempt from the assessment.

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