Two replacement Hoffman Estates fire stations making progress this summer
Interior construction is underway at one of two Hoffman Estates fire stations being replaced.
The new 12,000-square-foot Fire Station 21 in Chino Park is now expected to be completed by late fall, next to its 65-year-old predecessor at 225 Flagstaff Lane.
“We’re a little ahead of schedule right now,” said Deputy Village Manager Dan O’Malley.
Meanwhile, preparations to demolish an office complex where Fire Station 22 is being rebuilt are also underway.
Village officials recommended and approved both projects two years ago to address the aging facilities at half the village’s four fire stations.
Utilities are being connected at the new Station 21, so some road closures are taking place in the area.
Once employees move next door to the new station in November or December, the old one will be quickly demolished to make way for a parking lot.
About four miles to the west, the last tenant of the single-story office complex on the 2100 block of West Higgins Road moved out last week, making way for construction of a new Station 22 next year.
Demolition is planned for no later than September, O’Malley said.
Hoffman Estates bought the site in October 2023 for $53,000 above its $2 million appraised value to replace the 52-year-old fire station just across the road near the Ascension St. Alexius Medical Center campus.
Village leaders are hopeful the former site will attract a current or future medical tenant due to its proximity to the hospital as a buyer.
Station 22’s new design is being drafted with the intention of construction beginning in the spring. It will be larger than the new Station 21 and completion is expected in 2027, O’Malley said.
Hoffman Estates Fire Chief Alan Wax said the design of 21st century fire stations will differ in significant ways from their predecessors. That includes safety features like tornado shelters as well as additional space for paramedics and technology upgrades.
“They’ve been very patient,” he said of the firefighters based in the two oldest stations. “There hasn’t been any whining or complaining. They’ve done an outstanding job with what they have.”
The two projects together have an estimated cost of roughly $25 million.
To fund the projects, village officials increased the electricity rate on data centers and other businesses that use an equal amount of power. Ambulance fees covered by insurance were also increased. Residents would see any amount not covered by their insurance waived.