Remodel or Rebuild? IL Fire Department Weighs Station Options

Is a new fire station in the village of Niles’ future?

Niles Fire Chief Marty Feld said a feasibility study is proposed that will explore whether the current fire station at Dempster Street and Cumberland Avenue should be extensively remodeled or entirely rebuilt to meet the department’s needs.

Feld explained that the station, which was built in 1961, is aging and experiencing space issues.

“The current infrastructure is failing within the fire house,” Feld said. “The study will determine if it can be upgraded to support our needs or if we need to completely rebuild.”

The study, estimated to cost $30,000, is proposed as part of the village’s 2020-21 municipal budget, said Fred Braun, director of Niles Public Works. The budget will require approval from the Village Board prior to the start of the new fiscal year on May 1.

Some of the issues with the current station, which also houses the department’s administrative offices, include crumbling concrete in the garage where fire vehicles are parked (due to their weight), an electrical system that does not meet the department’s needs, plumbing system failures, leaks in the roof and space issues, Feld said.

In the garage where the department’s tower truck is parked, there is only a 1.5-inch clearance from the ceiling, Feld said. The station is also in need of a training room that is accessible to the public (the current room is located in the basement and is not handicapped accessible), a larger workout room and larger locker room facilities for both men and women, the fire chief indicated.

“When this building was built, it wasn’t built for this many firefighters,” he said.

Braun said the village has spent between $50,000 and $70,000 on repairs to the fire station over the last two years.

In 2017, the village funded a major remodel of the department’s other fire station, located at 6611 Jarvis Ave. Everything, from the outlets to the windows to the plumbing was replaced, Feld said.

“It’s going to last, without a doubt, another 25 years,” he said. “Can the same thing be done [at the Dempster station]? That’s what the study will look at.”

The remodel of the Jarvis Avenue station cost $1.9 million, Braun said.

Feld said he is open to whatever the study finds is the best solution for the Dempster Street station.

“If this can be fixed and meet our needs, then great,” he said. “If it cannot, then we need to look at what we can do. We’d have to find a piece of land or some other alternative to relocate the firefighters so we can rebuild on this land.”

The Niles Fire Department consists of 49 sworn personnel. Crews frequently provide assistance to surrounding departments as well.

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