City News & Updates

HUNTINGTON – The City of Huntington has taken initial steps to design a new northside fire station. Property near Schenkel’s Dairy on Flaxmill Road that the City acquired in 2008 has been selected as the likely site.

Fire Chief Tony Johnson said a top priority is bolstering response times, as industrial and populous residential areas have shifted north and west in the decades since the Huntington Fire Department’s Condit Street station opened. At the same time, he described the current station as “busting at the seams” as Huntington firefighters have tried to make do in an aging facility.

“Our station out there on Condit Street is (almost) 50 years old, and it doesn’t meet the needs that we have now,” Chief Johnson said.

The Condit Street station also houses the department’s administrative operations, which would relocate to the new station along with its fire crews. Should the new station be approved, one potential future use for the Condit Street station would be repurposing it as a community center. This could provide a valuable resource for the local community, although such talks remain preliminary.

The Etna Avenue station, which opened in 2002, will continue serving Huntington’s south side.

A selection committee ranked proposals from four architectural firms before choosing Shive-Hattery Architecture & Engineering’s services. Chief Johnson said the firm stood out because of its extensive experience designing public safety buildings across the Midwest. Its South Bend office specializes in fire station design.

Andrew Avara, the firm’s South Bend managing director, reiterated that the new station’s design will prioritize response times at every step. Everything down to communal spaces and sleeping quarters will be designed to keep Huntington firefighters safe, rested, alert, and ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

Huntington’s City Council and Board of Public Works & Safety authorized a design agreement with Shive-Hattery at their November 12th and November 18th meetings, respectively. Determined as a percentage of the estimated construction costs, the agreement will use about $798,000 in statewide riverboat gaming revenues to pay the firm’s design and project management fees over the life of the multi-year project.

“As we’re looking at this initial outlay on design, we’re looking to draw on funds that come to us directly from the state from other economic activities, so we’re not looking to put local property taxes or income taxes in the hopper on this,” Mayor Richard Strick told Council members on November 12th.

Construction costs related to a new fire station are projected at $11 million to $12.2 million. Shive-Hattery’s initial work has determined the new station will need to occupy about 20,300 square feet to meet department needs. According to the firm, the industry standard for “ground-up” construction averages about $550 to $600 per square foot.

“At a later date, once further design is completed, we’ll be able to bring you more information on what next steps would look like in a funding plan if we’re able to move forward with it,” Mayor Strick said at the November 12th Council meeting.