Firefighters Move Into New Station

By Stan Maddux, For The News-Dispatch

LaPORTE - LaPorte firefighters settled into their new, more spacious North Side station Wednesday.

Much of the heavy equipment had already been moved to the new building on East Shore Parkway over the past few weeks but there were still plenty of boxes of radio equipment, food and other necessities to move and unpack Wednesday.

By noon, the move had pretty much been completed and the historic first call was answered shortly thereafter from the new 10,000-square-foot facility.

“We’re pretty happy right now. We’ve had this promised to us for a long time and it finally came to fruition,” said LaPorte Fire Chief Andy Snyder.

Talk of building a new north side fire station to ease the cramped conditions of a 2,400-square-foot building dates back to the former administration of Democratic Mayor Kathy Chroback.

Her choice to build the fire station across the street along the north side Truesdell Avenue was overturned under the current leadership at city hall, which felt a location further north would better meet the needs of a more rapidly growing area.

The switch in locations set the stage for much public opposition, though, which included concerns about response times given that East Shore Parkway hasn't yet been extended to McClung Road to provide the shortest route to parts of the north end.

Snyder said East Shore Parkway is scheduled to be extended by this summer.

Until then, he said the East Side fire station will help respond to calls north of the Conrail tracks in the area of Park Street and Sacred Heart Church to maintain a preferred three minute response.

What will become of the old 1926 fire station across from McDonald's on Pine Lake Avenue remains uncertain.

With no commitment from Starbucks or any other interested company, the city hopes to receive a formal offer to buy and relocate the structure by the end of this month.

A coffeehouse, restaurant and office space are among possible uses most often discussed.

Fearing the cost of moving the heavy, brick structure could lead to demolition, Pam Ruminski, president of People Engaged in Preservation, is urging the city to find a buyer who wants to renovate the structure at its present location.

City officials, though, prefer to have the fire station moved. The city wants the space vacated to accommodate development of the adjacent New Porte Landing, a 150-acre former industrial site targeted for retail, housing and recreational expansion.

“I don’t believe the prospect of relocation is really financially feasible without some significant subsidy to underwrite the cost,” Ruminski said.

Mayor Leigh Morris said the expense of relocating the old fire station could become an issue for a private developer.

Preliminary estimates have placed the cost of moving the building at $30,000, which Morris feels is affordable for a developer without the city having to share in the expense. Until there's a formal offer, Morris said it's too early to jump to any conclusions.

Let’s see what happens. If we don’t get the kind of interest in relocating it then let’s go back and talk some more.

“Certainly, we want to see it preserved whether it’s at this site or another site. Preservation is what we’re after,” Morris said.

Story posted: 03/12/07