At a workshop on Monday before the City Council meeting, Caldwell Fire Chief Richard Frawley presented the council with three options for rebuilding Fire Station 1.

Frawley said the council will next consider a resolution on the recommended option at its Sept. 4 meeting.

Where will the new Fire Station One be built?

Frawley outlined one option that would lead to rebuilding the station at its current location and two that would lead to its relocation.

The first option, recommended by the department, would locate station operations in several buildings: the old city hall at 411 Blaine Street, the current Caldwell Police Department addition at 423 Blaine Street, and the former Fire Department Administration Building at 403 Blaine Street.

According to Frawley, the advantages of the first option include the simple construction and the location of a joint operations center for fire and police near other municipal properties in the inner city area.

“It’s a central design that takes into account the future needs of the fire department,” Frawley said.

Option two is to rebuild the station at its current location, with the building either being newly constructed or renovated, he said. To accommodate the new infrastructure at the site, fire administration personnel would be relocated to another location yet to be determined, he said.

“Probably the biggest benefit is that the firefighters love the history of this facility,” Frawley said, “they love the tradition of this facility.”

However, Frawley said potential disadvantages included the separation of administrative staff from day-to-day operations, the unknown costs of reconstruction or renovation, and limited parking and expansion options.

Option three is for the department to build a new fire station on city-owned property on Chicago Street between Centennial Way and Boise Avenue. Advantages include being able to house the station and administrative staff at the same location and having enough space to build a large, single-story building.

A major drawback to the third option is that the new location is in the flood plain, which Frawley said could result in the fire department losing out on future grant funding. Frawley said he is also concerned about meeting response times along Cleveland Boulevard and Blaine Street.

What is the plan for Fire Station Four?

Once the Fire Station One project is completed, Frawley said the department will begin construction on Fire Station Four, a planned joint station for the cities of Caldwell and Nampa, near the intersection of Karcher Road and Lake Avenue.

Frawley explained that the city is acquiring the land from a developer and that an agreement with the farmer stipulates that the land “will not be used or developed until the harvest is complete.” Additional utilities are expected to be installed on the site in early 2025, he said.