BAY CITY, MI – Fire officials say the city needs to demolish Bay City Fire Station 2 and replace it with a new facility at a different location because of significant PFAS contamination.

However, others holding leadership positions with the city question the severity of the contamination—as well as the cost and effort associated with tearing down one station and replacing it with a new one elsewhere.

“It’s important we preserve the fire protection on the south end,” Bay City Fire Chief Kurt Corradi said Monday, July 20, during a presentation to city commissioners on the need to replace the facility on the contaminated site.

“We need to continue to provide those response times that we’re currently providing to the residents in that area along with completing the PFAS related demolition and cleanup in a responsible manner,” he said.

Along with Bay City Director of Public Safety Caleb Rowell, Corradi outlined the case for a new station during a presentation to the Bay City Commission, citing the station’s heavy call volume, environmental concerns and the limitations of relying solely on Fire Station 1 on Center Avenue.

This comes as the department has already outlined previously the need to make upgrades to Fire Station 5, which closed in 2024 due to a bevy of issues.

After the presentation, the commission voted 7-1 to move forward with the planning and development of a long-term solution for Fire Station No. 2. Commissioner Joseph Charlebois of the 8th Ward voted against the measure; 5th Ward Commissioner Mark Zanotti abstained.

Charlebois said buildings—even older ones—can be repaired and fixed. He noted that there are still issues with Fire Station 5 he doesn’t want to be forgotten.

“We still haven’t addressed the station over my neck of the woods,” he said. “I couldn’t even get a roof on it to stabilize it.”

Fire Station 2, 1000 Fremont Ave., was built in 1956. The site once had a five-story fire training tower on the southern portion of the parking lot which was believed to have been used for training.

In March 2020, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) was notified that numerous firefighting foam containers stored in the fire tower had leaked. The fire tower was demolished a month later. The contamination affects the station property and portions of neighboring storm sewer infrastructure.

Corradi said he doesn’t feel comfortable having firefighters working in the station when there’s such contamination in the ground it sits on.

“We have firefighters working in that station every day with extremely high PFAS numbers,” he said.

Shellene Thurston, Bay City’s community development director who previously worked with an environmental consulting firm, said the site contamination is between 2 to 8 feet, meaning there is little-to-no surface level risk.

“There is not a surface contamination issue,” she explained. “So, there is not an issue with somebody sitting on the grass having a picnic. The contamination is below ground. It’s not at the surface. If it was at the surface, EGLE would have required us to fence off the property and restrict entry. And that’s not a requirement right now.”

She did note that there was also contamination in the asphalt of the parking area. Adjoining properties, both residential and Macgregor Elementary School, were previously tested, Thurston said, and there was PFAS present, “but at a much, much, much smaller amount than what’s on the fire station property.”

According to city officials, Fire Station 2 responds to about 2,000 incidents annually and recorded its highest call volume last year. Engine 2’s average response time within its district is 3.31 minutes, officials said.

Officials stressed that Station 1 cannot adequately replace Station 2 because the south-end response area cannot be effectively covered from Center Avenue alone.

“It’s too far to drive and it takes too long to get there,” Corradi said. “We’re very fortunate on a large number of our structure fires to get water on fire fast, to keep small fires small. This would create significant delays.”

Due to the contamination, officials said the existing site is not a viable long-term location for the station. Demolition of the current facility and environmental remediation will be required, with operational planning and cleanup efforts moving forward together.

The city has secured nearly $1 million through a federal grant to fund demolition of the existing station and PFAS remediation work, including cleanup of affected storm sewer infrastructure. However, the funding does not cover construction of a replacement station.

The funding also has an expiration date and needs to be used in a year, officials said, and additional local and outside funding will be needed to build a new facility.

The city’s preferred location for a new Fire Station 2 is the former Department of Public Works site on Water Street. Engineering firm Spicer Group has estimated construction costs at approximately $9 million, though that figure does not include demolition of existing buildings at the Water Street property.

Officials emphasized that the estimate is intended for planning purposes and is not a final project cost. Actual expenses will depend on final design plans, project scope, market conditions and site preparation requirements.

To finance the project, city officials outlined several bonding scenarios. Annual payments on the previously approved $5.2 million bond are estimated at between $350,000 and $400,000. If the city were to issue roughly $10 million in bonds, annual payments are projected to range from $700,000 to $800,000.

Commissioners also heard information about a potential millage approach. Officials said approximately 1 mill could generate enough revenue to cover payments on a $10 million bond. For a homeowner with a taxable value of $50,000, the estimated annual cost would be about $50.

Commissioner Craig Kokaly of the 2nd Ward argued that the city won’t likely get any additional assistance from the state or federal government for its fire infrastructure problems, so the time to act is now.

“I’m just not comfortable putting firefighters in a situation where it’s not safe for them,” said 2nd Ward Commissioner Craig Kokaly. “We have said we’re going to move forward on things. We prioritize Station 2 first and foremost for safety reasons.

“This is something we’re going to have to let the voters decide on and I’d rather let them decide what’s going to happen with this.”

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