Groundbreaking took place Monday for new fire Station #39 in the Van Buren Township, which will replace the old Station #19, and house up to four firefighters in the future.
Station #39’s primary response area will be Stanford, Elwren, Eastern Greene County, Northern Indian Creek Township, and Monroe County through mutual aid agreements.
The new station is being fully funded by Van Buren Township, and will not funded by a tax levy. The station will cost of about 1.5 million dollars, according to information provided to The Bloomingtonian.
Station #19 built in the 1980s is made of cinder block, deteriorating, and will be demolished. The new station, which is 8,928 square feet compared to the old station’s 2500 square feet will have three drive-through bays with an additional half bay, full kitchen, four bunk rooms, living room, training room, physical fitness room, hazmat room, and a conference room.
The station is being funded with money from a rainy day fund saved over the past 11 years, which amounts to 10 percent of the annual total budget per year. In 2009 there were 120,923-dollars in the fund, and funds have accumulated to the 1.5 million needed for construction costs.
Van Buren Township is hoping to have construction completed by December 31, 2020, and plans to have a grand opening in the future for the public.
The Van Buren Township Fire Department will continue to serve Van Buren residents, I-69, but will join the Monroe Fire District on January 21, 2021.
