New Fire Station Coming to Southwestern Wisconsin City

The City of Platteville will be welcoming a brand new fire department. Announced last month, Platteville Fire Department's new building will be a significant development project for the area. A public meeting is also set to be held very soon.

That community meeting will be held at 6pm on Tuesday, December 20th at the Platteville Public Library. The meeting will be led by Fire Chief Ryan Simmons as well as City Manager Adam Ruechel and members of Inspiring Community Inc.

Those who attend will get the latest scoop on the construction plans and subsequent timeline for the new station, which will be built at the site of the OE Gray Early Learning Center at 155 West Lewis Street. The new fire department is projected to cost about $13.4 million, with $7 million being provided through federal funding.

The federal funding comes from a $1.5 trillion appropriations package that was passed by Congress in early March. In lieu of that move, the City of Platteville revealed some plans for the money they were given:

• $7 million for a new fire station in Platteville.
• $4 million to help build a new Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County in Darlington, Wis.
• $615,000 for a trail project on Chaplain Schmitt Island in Dubuque.
• $500,000 to develop affordable housing options in Jones County, Iowa.
• $400,000 toward an expansion project at East Dubuque District Library.
• $300,000 to support Community Health Systems Inc. in expanding its behavioral health department in Darlington.
• $262,500 for an emergency operations center in Jackson County, Iowa.
• $231,000 for Gundersen Health System to start a pediatric-focused mobile health unit that will serve an area that includes southwest Wisconsin.
• $54,000 to Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program for the Iowa County Food Pantry.

The goal for the new Platteville Fire Department is to break ground next fall, with the project to be completed in 2024. In a recent story from WKOW, Platteville Fire Chief Ryan Simmons spoke about how an upgrade to their facilities is "long overdue," citing difficulty in getting in and out of vehicles, insufficient clearance for the firetrucks, and a lack of shower facilities have made day-to-day activities immensely difficult for firefights.

Read more about Chief Simmons' thoughts on the pending upgrades to the Platteville Fire Department here, as well as more about the upcoming community meeting via the Telegraph Herald.