ROGERS CITY – The Rogers City Area Fire Department Authority is moving forward with plans to build a new fire station in Roger’s City’s industrial park.

Moltke Township Supervisor Neil Sorgenfrei said construction of a new fire hall was last estimated to cost around $2 million. The project would be funded through a mix of funds from the Fire Authority’s property tax and a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Sorgenfrei said they are still investigating whether they are eligible for a loan and expect to know more in a month.

The fire authority is currently seeking proposals for an architect, which would provide officials not only with design plans but also help them determine the total cost of the project.

The Fire Authority currently stores its equipment at Rogers City City Hall but is looking to build a new facility adjacent to the ambulance building near 6th Street and Park Drive.

Rogers Township Supervisor Randy Smolinski said a new facility would allow the fire authority to have more space to store its equipment and allow volunteers to access the equipment faster. Firefighters also need additional space to meet certain state requirements.

“It’s not a viable place to have a fire hall, because, when we respond to a fire in the surrounding communities or townships, those fire trucks have to go through school zones to get out of the city itself,” he said of the Fire Authority’s current location in the city.

The authority relies on volunteer firefighters and serves Rogers City and Rogers, Belknap, Bismark, and Moltke townships.

Smolinski said the new location would allow the volunteer firefighters to arrive at the fire house quicker, which also allows for a quicker response time to the scenes of a fire.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.