After years of trying to get the project off the ground, Algoma City Administrator Matt Murphy is happy that you will soon see a new fire station take shape. The department officially broke ground last month on the estimated $3.9 million Sunset Avenue facility, which will replace its cramped downtown headquarters.

After voters rejected two referendum questions in previous years, city officials had to explore other ways to address the critical need. According to city council minutes, the project will be funded through a portion of the proceeds from the October 2024 general obligation debt issuance, interest earned on those proceeds, a $200,000 donation from Terrance Fulwiler, and capital project fund reserves. Murphy says other projects were put on the back burner, but the need for a new fire station had simply grown too large to ignore.

According to contractor Bayland Buildings, the new facility will include 5,800 square feet of offices, meeting rooms, and Fire/EMS operations space; 11,300 square feet of drive-thru apparatus bays and a wash bay; and a 2,000-square-foot mezzanine. The project is expected to be completed in spring 2026.