New station after decades
The new Elmhurst Fire Department Station 2 is set to open in mid-July, according to Fire Chief Mike Kopp. Ground was broken on the new facility, which is located in front of the current station 2, in October 2008. The station is being built to replace the current building, which is almost 30 years old. The old building will be torn down in August, Kopp said.

Under budget
Because both the current and new Fire Station 2 buildings sit on Elmhurst Park District property, the city has entered a new 50-year lease with them. The city will pay $405,000 to the Park District for the rental agreement of the land. Additionally, the fire department needed some more parking spots, so they purchased some railroad property for $36,000 to create new spaces. The total budget for the project is $6.7 million, which includes the Park District lease costs. The actual construction cost is $5.5 million, and “we’re under budget right now as of the last audit. Hopefully it will stay that way,” Kopp said.

Environmentally friendly
Fire and city officials hope that the new location will be the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified, although it will not be known if it is until the building is complete. In hopes of obtaining the status, the new station will feature a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system; low VOC lightbulbs; an motion-detector lighting system inside and out of the station; recycled materials; a carpool parking spot to encourage employees to share rides to work; and all of the materials used for the project have come from within 500 miles of Elmhurst.

Enhanced service for everyone
Both department personnel and the public will benefit from the building of a new station, Kopp said. The new building will feature female quarters, which the old space does not have. The new space will also feature four apparatus bays for fire trucks to drive out of.  “When everyone’s in there and happy, it will definitely enhance the services for the people of Elmhurst,” Kopp said. “It will be really nice.”

More than meets the eye
The new station will feature a new hose tower, which commonly is mistaken for a clock tower, Kopp said. When hoses get wet, employees hang them on the tower to dry to prevent mildew and mold. “A lot of people look at that and say, ‘What the heck is that?’” Kopp said. “It has a functional use.”