ST. LOUIS – Crews broke ground Monday on a new fire station in St. Charles.
City officials broke ground at Fire Station 3 in St. Charles earlier Monday morning. The building has been standing since the 1960s and has some major structural issues. So, the facility will be torn down, and a new one will take its place.
The new station will cost $4.3 million. A St. Charles Fire Department spokesperson said this is not a tax increase on people who live in the area. Voters passed Proposition R last year, which was a general obligation bond. It supports the city’s fire departments with needed facility upgrades and repairs.
The Elm station has had some flooding problems and electrical hazards that would require extensive repairs. The station is also unable to accommodate the size of the department’s modern fire equipment. The small size of the station prohibits housing additional staff. So this new building will help increase service in that part of town.
Crews will be working out of Fire Station 1 on North 6th Street while the construction is going on. City officials said response times to this service area will not be affected.
The new building is expected to be complete in the fall of next year.