GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Green Bay Metro Fire Department is presenting three budget alternatives for the new fire station at 420 South Broadway, with costs ranging from $14 million to $19.6 million as the city grapples with significant cost overruns.
Green Bay Metro Fire Chief Matthew Knott is requesting direction from the city's Ad Hoc Facilities Committee on how to proceed with the project, which has undergone significant reductions and value engineering to reach the current proposals.
The three alternatives represent different approaches to balancing immediate operational needs with long-term administrative requirements for the fire department.
Alternative A: Full buildout would cost $19.6 million and include a complete three-story, 36,631-square-foot fire station with administrative offices. This represents the fire department's recommended option but exceeds the city's original budget goals by approximately $4.6 million.
Alternative B: Third floor shell would cost $17 million and build the full three-story structure but leave the third-floor administrative space as an unfinished shell. The fire station would operate on the first and second floors while fire administration remains at City Hall until the third floor is completed later.
Alternative C: Two-story station would cost $14 million and build only a 24,674-square-foot, two-story fire station without administrative space. Fire administration would remain housed in City Hall or another location to be determined.
The fire department says the new station is designed to replace the now-closed Fire Station 1 and the outdated Fire Station 3, consolidating operations into a single, modern facility as part of the Fire Station Flats mixed-use development.
All three alternatives include the same sitework costs of $560,000 and professional fees of $1.16 million, with the primary differences being building size, administrative space and associated construction costs.
The Ad Hoc Facilities Committee is expected to provide a final recommendation on which alternative to pursue as the city balances operational needs with budget constraints.
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