Press ReleasesSeptember 23

Grand Rapids breaks ground on city's 1st fire station in 37 years

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – City and State officials gathered to break ground on Grand Rapids’ new Kendall Street Fire Station, 4044 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. It is the first fire station built in the city of Grand Rapids in 37 years.

The groundbreaking marked the official start of the Grand Rapids Fire Department’s (GRFD) Kendall Street Fire Station construction project. Station No. 12 is a thoughtfully designed 12,600-square-foot, two-bay facility on a 1.5-acre site featuring private living quarters with individual dorm rooms, modern amenities, kitchen and dining areas, drive-through apparatus bays, advanced exhaust systems, ample storage for equipment, fitness room and on-site parking. The exterior design complements the surrounding neighborhood, while a community meeting room and future neighborhood park space enhance public engagement. The project saves the oak trees found on the corner of the property and features thoughtful landscaping and an underground stormwater storage chamber.

Designed to serve the Third Ward for the next 75 to 100 years, this station prioritizes functionality, inclusivity and community integration, becoming a vital and lasting addition to the area. It is ideally situated on the corner of Kalamazoo Avenue SE and Kendall Street SE with access to both public rights-of-way to improve fire response times in this neighborhood. When complete, it will have 12 personnel assigned, resulting in a three-person engine crew 24/7/365.

Grand Rapids Fire Chief Brad Brown said the ceremony allowed for the community to gather and celebrate this historic moment to better serve the citizens of Grand Rapids.

“We are understandably excited to kick off construction of our Kendall Street Fire Station because it will house a new engine and crew to better serve 14,000 residents of the third ward. The new station and crew will provide improved emergency response times to an area of the city that had been underserved for many years as it was dependent upon fire and emergency medical service from the Kalamazoo Avenue Station north of 28th Street. Even with lights and sirens, crews could not meet equitable response time goals in the south-eastern portion of the city.”

The $8.1 million station is funded through a State of Michigan FY24 grant. Integrated Architecture designed the facility. EV Construction is proud to be the building contractor.

“The common bond between EV and the GRFD is that we both care first for people and their safety. That connection makes projects like this so exciting for our team,” said John Parker, Vice President of Project Development with EV Construction. “We are so humbled to be part of this community project which will save lives and enhance the safety of the third ward in Grand Rapids. I truly believe that our people work harder when they know the impact their work will make on a community. I think this project is a perfect representation of that idea.”

The GRFD anticipates opening the station in Fall 2025.

As always, GRFD reminds residents to have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in their homes. Community members who live in their own homes can call 311 to schedule a free home safety assessment and free smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector installation.

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