Lockport Fire District Breaks Ground On New Facility As Police Pull Funding For Firing Range
LOCKPORT TOWNSHIP, IL — A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday in Crest Hill for Lockport Township Fire Protection District's new training and maintenance facility.
The facility will be located at 20115 W. Division St., in Crest Hill.
The Crest Hill City Council gave approval for the project in April.
According to the fire district's website, the facility will be centrally located within the fire district on the Stateville property in Crest Hill.
"The facility will enhance operations and reduce response times for specialty incidents such as water rescue, hazardous materials response, and technical rescue," the website reads.
The project sits on 12.86 acres. Phase 1 and 2 of the project includes a 23,100-square-foot training/maintenance building, roads and parking, stormwater detention/training pond, gravel extrication area and a serpentine testing course.
The facility building will include offices, restrooms, three classrooms, a kitchenette, and a "break-out area," according to the fire district. The facility will also have 6 maintenance bays for vehicles.
Phase 3 and 4 of the project was slated to also include a tower training classroom, a burn tower and a public safety outdoor firing range, which would be operated by Lockport Police Department.
However, the Lockport Police Department has now backed out of the project due to funding limitations.
City Administrator Ben Benson told Patch that an added berm size and sound walls, "just added so much cost, it more than doubled."
"We [are] still looking into it, but without grant funds, I don't see how we can proceed," he said.
Benson added that the plans were all just talks behind the scenes, and no formal votes or presentations had been made. The City had also hoped for more regional support from other departments and didn't receive any.
The Lockport Township Fire Protection District operates several facilities, including the district administrative center in Lockport, fire station no. 1 in Lockport, fire station no. 2 in Crest Hill, fire station no. 3 in Romeoville, fire station no. 4 in Lockport, fire station no. 5 in Romeoville and fire station no. 6 in Lockport.
