The Normal Town Council on Monday approved a site plan and construction contract for a new fire station in development for several years.
Council members also approved an amended site plan for Rivian that is building another major expansion of its electric vehicle plant.
The Normal Planning Commission held a public hearing on the fire station project earlier this month. The council approved contract negotiations in the spring of 2023. The $7.7 million east side fire station will be located at Hershey and Shepard roads, in the southwest corner of the Blackstone subdivision that was rezoned for this purpose in 2019. The project as a whole has been in development since 2009.
City manager Pamela Reece said the 10,000-square-foot fire station has been “years in the works” and that it's been held up until this point because the town has been waiting for state grant funding.
The council’s actions Monday fulfilled step two of a three-step fire station relocation plan. Eventually, there are plans for a third fire station in Normal.
Council member Kathleen Lorenz attempted to start a discussion at Monday’s meeting about plans for the third fire station, saying she hopes the council will “take some time to make sure assumptions in the 2014 plans are still relevant” when it comes to the third station.
Council member Kevin McCarthy, acting as mayor pro tem in Mayor Chris Koos’ absence, said discussions had to stick to Monday’s agenda items, though he did clarify the council does not “have a process yet” regarding plans for the third station.
Reece added there should be movement on step three of the project within a year.
In her comments on the phase of the project approved Monday, Reece said “this particular site significantly enhances and improves our calls for service to northeast Normal… This has been an issue of concern for years.”
Reece added that response times to Normal Community High School and the Mercy Creek assisted living facility have in particular been below targets for emergency response times.
Council member Scott Preston echoed this in his comments, saying Monday’s actions will bring emergency services to these “critical areas.”
Reece also said “we’re trying to create a public space and a public facility for our operations that will be a good neighbor to our Blackstone Trails residents. We’re recognizing that not everybody was thrilled to have a fire station so close, but we also are adding a significant amount of landscaping… We think this is a good solution and a facility that everyone will be proud of.”
The site plan for the single-story facility includes 18 parking spaces and a single EV charging station, as well as 20% green space consisting of trees and shrubs concentrated on the proposed building’s north and east sides.
Adding to her comments at the end of the meeting, Lorenz said “this action tonight is needed without a shadow of a doubt.”
Construction is expected to start in August and will last about one year.
Rivian
The amended Rivian site plan was approved without discussion.
The plan will add 208,000 square feet to the Rivian plant site for the electric automaker to add a new building and employee parking lots.
The new lots will contain 1,127 spaces and 1,418 spaces, respectively. The proposal also would expand an existing southwest employee lot, while a new inventory lot for constructed vehicles is proposed on the northeast side of the property.
Six new wayfinding signs also would be added as part of the amendment. The signage would direct vehicles, identify gates, and direct pedestrians.
