Oswego Village Board approves land donation for new fire station

The Oswego Village Board has approved donating a parcel of land on Wolfs Crossing to the Oswego Fire Protection District to build its fifth fire station.

At their March 18 Village Board meeting, village trustees unanimously approved the donation. The Fire District’s Board of Trustees approved the donation last month.

Located at the southwest corner of Wolfs Crossing and Devoe Drive, the parcel is approximately one acre in size.

“That is where the village is growing, no doubt about it, and this station is really going to improve those response times,” Oswego Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said in talking about the project. “And I know that with the referendum that was passed recently, the district’s got some funding to start on this.”

In April 2023, voters approved the district’s request for authorization to sell up to $17 million in general obligation bonds. Fire Chief John Cornish had said the fire district would use the proceeds from the bond sale to buy new vehicles and equipment, fund the construction of an additional fire station and retire a portion for the district’s current debt.

The Oswego Fire Protection District is a separate taxing body from the village. The district serves a total population of about 75,000 and has seen a 17% increase in calls for service over the last five years.

“This land symbolizes more than just acreage, it represents the unified approach from both the village and the fire district to continue to provide quality fire and EMS services to the residents, those that visit, and those that commute through our district,” Cornish said.

The fire district also has stations on Woolley Road in Oswego, Wiesbrook Drive in Oswego, Galena Road in Montgomery and West 127th Street in Plainfield.