Construction crews are working on a large property on South Walnut Street. Here’s what they’re building.
Where is the construction site?
The site covers 62 acres at 3410 S. Walnut St. It’s on the west side of the street, across from the Toyota and Mazda dealerships.
What’s being built on South Walnut Street?
The city of Bloomington, which already owns the property, is building a fire department training and logistic center.
What will the project include?
The project includes an 18,000-square foot building on the site’s north side that will provide space for offices, training and storage. Crews also will build a parking lot with 41 spaces and a sidewalk along South Walnut Street. The site’s north side also will get a new exit onto South Walnut Street.
Bloomington Fire Department Deputy Chief Max Litwin said the project will provide a multi-bay, pre-engineered metal building that will house the department’s backup vehicles, along with a lot of gear and equipment.
Attached to the multi-bay building, contractor Weddle Brothers will build an enclosed building that will house the department’s training and logistics divisions, he said.
Why is Bloomington building a new fire training facility?
Litwin said the department’s training and logistics staff is housed mostly in a facility the department is leasing on South McIntire Drive, on the city’s west side, near the intersection of Interstate 69 and West Tapp Road. However, he said that facility is too small, and some of the staff have been scattered throughout the city.
Having all training facilities in the same spot will eliminate logistical challenges and increase efficiencies, he said.
“The biggest obstacle is the amount of storage space,” he said.
Litwin said the department is running out of space for its reserve fire vehicles and its gear, including hoses, axes and other tools. Each of the department’s 102 firefighters has two sets of gear, and that takes up a lot of space and some requires special protections as it cannot be stored in sunlight.
In addition, he said, the city is paying about $4,800 per month to lease the McIntire site, and the monthly rate will increase to $6,500 per month next year. Once the new facility is completed, the department will vacate the McIntire site and save $78,000 in annual lease payments, based on next year’s rate.
Litwin, who has been with the department for 17 years, including the last two as deputy chief, said a state-of-the-art training facility also will help the department with recruitment and retention.
“I think about what … drew me to the job … the training that’s available is usually a pretty big item that entices people to come,” he said.
Litwin said the new facility also can quickly be turned into an alternate fire station in case one of the other stations is knocked out of commission. Flooding in 2021 inundated the main fire station and headquarters on East Fourth Street, ruining electrical systems, communication equipment and controls for the facility’s backup generator. Firefighters also could be stationed at the new facility temporarily if their station is undergoing renovations.
How much does the new fire training center cost?
The project will cost up to $6.5 million, and is being paid with money the city borrowed as part of a $29.5 million bond approved under former Mayor John Hamilton. The money will be paid back annually with revenue from the economic development local income tax, which the city approved in 2022.
While the Hamilton administration had estimated the fire department training facility cost near $2.5 million, Mayor Kerry Thomson had said last summer the estimate was “very conservative.”
“The actual estimate received in 2023 was $9.6 million, and even a scaled-back project … is expected to cost $6.5 million,” she said.
When will the project be completed?
Litwin said the department expects to move into the new facility in June 2026.
He said local firefighters are looking forward to being able to use the new facility.
“Everyone’s very excited,” he said. “We’ve talked about this for a long time.”
Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: What’s being built on South Walnut Street in Bloomington? What we know.
Reporting by Boris Ladwig, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
