***Press Release***
The Mt. Morris Fire Protection District Board of Trustee’s is excited to announce the next step in planning for a new firehouse. On August 15th the District completed the purchase of land for the new firehouse site. The land is comprised of four parcels located in the 10 block of South McKendrie Avenue. The site includes to the north, the two previous hardware store buildings and the house on the corner of Main & McKendrie. To the south, it includes the house on the corner of Front St. & McKendrie Avenue and the house immediately to the west. The District has spent over a year seriously considering and evaluating several sites in the process. Staying central in the District was paramount. Moving the firehouse from the core of the Village would have changed response times, especially to the outlying areas of the District with the new site allowing quicker access to State Route 64. Additionally, homeowners’ insurance rates could have increased for some if the firehouse had moved too far from its current location. The chosen site was by far the best for utility access as there is excellent access to the sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and fiber optic lines all located on McKendrie Avenue. Additionally, there is a large 16” water main located on McKendrie, which is the largest in the Village and needed to fill the apparatus quickly.
Firefighters will use the current structures on the new property for emergency training late this summer. The training will involve simulated fire conditions, and there will be no burning of any fashion in the structures. While the timeline is still being finalized for the next phase of the project, plans are to demolish the structures in early fall. After some light grading and site preparation, the final phase will be the construction of the new facility, starting in the spring of 2024. Barring any major setbacks, completion of the new building would be in early 2025. After the new facility is in operation, the District's century-old firehouse will be put up for sale.
The District has been able to secure funding through Federal, State, and Local sources. The most humbling has been the funds donated by the past and present community members who believe in the District’s mission.
Artist Rending