Highland Park's quaint but cramped Ravinia Fire Station needs to be replaced with a modern and more functional facility, according to city officials, who have hired an architectural firm to develop conceptual drawings for a new facility by December.
The Ravinia firehouse at 692 Burton Avenue opened in 1929 after a fire insurance study indicated a second station was needed outside of downtown to serve the rapidly growing community, according to a city memo. Since opening with a single fire truck and two employees, the station has undergone two major renovations to hold larger equipment, an ambulance and additional employees.
But speaking of the station's shortcomings at a recent city council meeting, City Manager Ghida Neukirch said it's difficult to maneuver equipment in and out of the fire station, conduct training and perform other routine operations.
On Aug. 22, the city council awarded a $30,000 contract for project management services to Williams Architects based in Itasca. The firm was hired to assess the current site and opportunity for expansion, develop conceptual designs and prepare preliminary cost estimates.
"Our preference is to retain operations on the current property," Neukirch said Friday. "If we find going through this process that (the current site) is not feasible for whatever reason, I want to make sure we are exploring all of our options."
Neukirch said the city plans to reach out to the community for input once the first phase of the study is complete.
The city's largest Fire Stations are located at 1130 Central Avenue and 1100 Half Day Road.
According to the fire department, Ravinia Fire Station personnel and equipment respond to about 2,200 calls annually, including about 1,100 calls for medical assistance.
Only about 50 of the station's calls annually are generated by the Ravinia Festival, according to the city.