GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The city of Grand Rapids plans to buy land and build a new fire station.
The new station is slated for a corner on Kalamazoo Avenue SE and Kendall Street SE, just north of 44th Street. The site lands in the historically-underfunded Third Ward, which has the largest Black population in the city.
According to city documents, the Grand Rapids Fire Department has monitored metrics in the Third Ward, where performance has been “lagging" since 2015.
READ: Commissioner speaks on the growth of Grand Rapids' Third Ward
The Kalamazoo district of the Third Ward is currently served by a single station, Station 4. Per city documents, Station 4 is called to more emergencies and protects more people than any other unit in Grand Rapids. It's also seen a boost in the number of calls it recieves, up 5.59% from the previous year.
If the city added a station and engine at Kalamazoo and Kendall, officials estimate that Station 4 would experience a 41% reduction in calls, taking the pressure off the station and increasing its success rate.
“This level of performance will also bring current Station 4 back in line with other districts in the city,” says a resolution from the Committee of Development.
The Grand Rapids Fire Department has been planning and searching for the right spot for a new fire station since 2022.
The city plans to spend about half a million dollars for an acre of property in the Kalamazoo district. Once the property is secured, GRFD and the City Manager can collaborate on a budget and timeline for construction.
The Committee of the Whole will discuss the resolution, along with the 2022 Grand Rapids Fire Department Annual Report, at a meeting on Tuesday.
