From the Ground Up: Springfield Fire Station No. 7

Owner: City of Springfield
General contractor: Crossland Construction Co. Inc.
Architects: Esterly Schneider & Associates Inc., project; BKV Group (Chicago), design; and frankZdesign LLC, landscape
Engineers: Own Inc., civil; BKV Group, structural; and RTM Engineering Consultants LLC, mechanical, electrical and plumbing
Size: 6,376 square feet
Cost: $4.2 million
Funding sources: City’s level property tax and level property tax bond contingency
Estimated completion: March 2024
Description: Serving the east side of Springfield, a new fire station is rising on Sunshine Street, east of Glenstone Avenue. One of 13 fire stations in the city, with another underway, Station No. 7 replaces a structure that was built in 1958 and demolished in March. Jennifer Swan, city architect, said the station has an expanded footprint, in part, because of a new approach to overnight accommodations for firefighters. Before, stations had a single bunk room with multiple beds, but now firefighters are housed in semiprivate sleeping rooms with three beds, each occupied during different shifts. Private restrooms also are included in the design, an arrangement that fulfills a goal of the fire department to meet the needs of a changing workforce. “We’re trying to make it nice because it is their home for part of the time,” Swan said. Other goals of the department were to have safe and low-maintenance facilities, with containment areas for sooty and chemical-coated gear. The garage area also is sized up to house today’s larger fire engines, Swan noted.