Columbia City Council sets date for public hearing about construction of new northside fire station  

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A public hearing will be held early next month about the construction of a new Columbia fire station.

The Columbia City Council on Monday approved to schedule a public hearing for Monday, May 4 for the construction of a new Fire Station No. 5 that is proposed for the intersection of Ballenger Lane and Ria Street. An interested parties meeting was held on March 18.

Previous reporting shows that $5 million was allocated by the city last year to replace the aging fire station.

Columbia Fire Assistant Chief Jeffrey Heidenreich previously said the current station is the third-busiest in the city next to the downtown station and the location on Worley Street.

The current Fire Station No. 5 was built in 1971, and city documents and previous reporting say the building is nearing the end of its lifespan, citing  the deteriorating and sinking conditions of the station. City documents describe the problems at the station as “unsolvable.”