New Cedar Rapids west-side fire station under construction

Construction has begun on a new west-side district fire station on Crestwood Drive NW just west of Edgewood Road SW.

The $2.85 million project was prompted by the city's decision to move its central fire station from a flood-damaged building at 222 Third St. NW to 713 First Ave. SE, between First and Second avenues and Seventh and Eighth streets SE.

The city will use $1.6 million in I-JOBS funds and $1.2 million in city funds for the west-side station. Completion is planned for later this year.

Garling Construction of Belle Plaine, with a branch office in Cedar Rapids, is the general contractor for the project.

The new $19 million central fire station is scheduled for completion later this summer. The city has been operating fire engines, emergency response equipment and personnel out of leased buildings while construction has progressed on the new building.

Construction of the west-side district fire station was delayed when it was discovered that about a quarter of the 2-acre site is a protected wetland under the federal Clean Water Act. The city was required to build a new larger wetland elsewhere.

The mitigation work will add about $50,000 to the initial $2.8 million project cost.