It took nearly two years to rebuild, but officials in West Bloomfield say the reconstruction of Fire Station No. 3 was well overdue — and the final product well worth the effort.
The original fire station, located at 3340 Green Lake Road, was around 65 years old, which showed in its deteriorating condition. The last time the station had undergone major renovations was in 1974. It then closed for demolition at the start of 2018, and work began building a replacement.
The completed station opened Oct. 27, with the overall cost of the project totaling $5.5 million — a price tag that includes the purchase of an adjacent home, the design phase, the construction and furnishing of the facilities, and the construction manager fees. The station spans 11,439 square feet and was built into the grade of the property, with living quarters on the elevated south end and the apparatus bay in the lower section, which helped lower the overall roofline.