Groundbreaking ceremony held for a new fire station in Morris

MORRIS – A groundbreaking ceremony for the next phase of development at the site of the new Morris Fire Station was held Tuesday afternoon.

Community leaders, fire protection, and city officials gathered at 11 a.m. at the facility on 200 Armstrong Street, which is adjacent to the existing municipal building, to launch the $5 million project.

Morris Fire Chief Tracey Steffes said the construction of the firehouse should take 12-to-14 months depending on the supply chain and weather.

“We shouldn’t have any problems, but things can change. But, I would say in the next 10-to-14 days you will start seeing some activity here,” he said.

City and fire officials reached an agreement on purchasing the land as part of a deal made between the city and the fire protection district that dates back to 1991, when the city of Morris first sold the property to the Fire Protection District and the city agreed to eventually purchase the buildings back.

On March 21, 2022, the city council approved the intergovernmental agreement between the Morris Fire Protection District and purchased the old buildings for $321,000, the same price the fire district spent on purchasing the land. As part of the deal, the City Council also approved the transfer of property, construction of a new firehouse, and possession, maintenance, and use of a historical fire steamer.

Steffes said the old buildings were never meant to be used as a firehouse and the size of the fire apparatus has changed over the years and the department has always had to build one.

“This is going to be a different thing, we won’t have to worry about reducing the size or the capabilities of a piece of fire,” he said.

Safety for both the community and the firemen was an integral part of the need for a new fire station, Steffes said. The new firehouse will most likely have a 60 to 90-second faster response time to the east side, because of avoiding Route 47.

Once the firehouse is completed, the city will be in possession of the two fire buildings the Morris Fire Department occupies now. Morris Mayor Chris Brown said the city hopes to preserve the historical significance and provide something marketable for the downtown area.

“We are working on a couple of different ideas right now, nothing concrete. But, we are looking at some possible restaurants and other businesses that would enhance our downtown, it would be nice if we could look at a brewery or something,” he said.