Fargo Fire Station Remodel Brings About Mixed Feelings

Fargo’s oldest fire station will get a facelift.

The city commission approved a $2.5 million dollar plan to renovate the 54-year-old downtown fire station.
 
But not everyone is happy with the details of the proposal.

City leaders can all agree that a refurbished fire hall is a good thing.

But a sticking point has some people worried…a fire museum that is slated to be funded with public money.
 
The remodeled downtown fire station will continue a long tradition of public safety in Fargo.
 
“We’re excited. The remodel of that building, it’s 54 years old, and we’ve had a fire station on that property for over 130 years,” says Fargo Fire Chief Steve Dirksen.
 
The remodel will make the fire station fully handicap accessible, and remove asbestos…a potential hazard to firefighters.
 
“The pipes have asbestos. The ceiling has asbestos. The floor has asbestos,” says Chief Dirksen.
 
Once the old stuff goes out, something new will come in: A fire museum, hosting memorabilia from more than a century of service to the community.
 
“We’re glad to see that we’re continuing to maintain a station there and that we can maintain some of the history that goes along with it,” says Chief Dirksen.
 
That’s where a problem lies for some city officials. The museum is slated to be built with more than a quarter million dollars of public money.
That’s why one commissioner, Tony Gehrig, voted against the project.
 
“It’s a very positive thing and I’m in full support of the museum, but not if it’s gonna be funded my public dollars” says Commissioner Gehrig.
 
The Fargo city commission has already voted to publicly finance a fire museum, but some city officials are still holding out hope that they can find a way to privately finance the project.
 
“This is something that can and should be privately funded,” says Commissioner Gehrig.
 
Gehrig has joined with the Arts Partnership in Fargo to provide a way for people to donate.
 
“Anything that gets donated to this project will now be a tax exemption for whatever entity that is,” says Commissioner Gehrig.
 
With all money raised helping to ease the public burden, and provide a new museum, a officials say, a source of pride for Fargo.
 
Fargo Fire Chief Steve Dirksen was actually the first person to contribute private money to the museum project.

Anyone interested in helping to offset the public cost of the museum can contact the Fargo Fire Department.