ST. GEORGE — Station 1, the lead fire station for St. George on 1000 East, was sold to Utah Tech University last week.
“It’s a good fit for the university,” Shawn Guzman, the city government affairs director, told the City Council last Thursday after the council approved the sale of the fire station property for $1.5 million.
The property sits next to other university-owned properties and will house buses and items used for the school’s road scholar and outdoor recreation programs once it becomes available.
For the time being, the city will be allowed to continue using the facility rent-free until the new Station 1 is built at the corner of 400 East and 100 South and is ready for occupancy.
The current station has become overcrowded, Guzman said, as it houses the city’s firefighting command staff. The 1000 East location also has become problematic with how busy it has become, which makes it difficult for firefighters to respond to an emergency in a timely matter, he said.
In contrast, the 400 East property, which the city bought from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last year for $1.1 million, has room for growth and provides easier, safer access to the downtown area.
“It’s a lot safer and larger,” Guzman said, noting the current Station 1 property is around 1.2 acres compared to the new location with 2.23 acres.
Under the city’s agreement with the university, firefighters will be able to remain in the original Station 1 for up to 90 days following the city’s receiving a certification for occupancy for the new location. It is estimated the new Station 1 will take around two years to build.
Paul Morris, vice president for administrative affairs at Utah Tech, told St. George News the school plans to use Station 1 as a parking and maintenance facility for buses it uses for its road scholar program. Given the size of the garage bays used to house the station’s fire engines, it is a perfect location, he said.
Items like kayaks, mountain bikes and various outdoor recreational gear associated with the university’s outdoor recreation program also will be kept at the old fire station. Those items are currently stored in a room in the university’s old gym, Morris said.
Funds the university used to purchase the Station 1 property were approved by the Utah Legislature early this year.
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