TROY — The Fire Station One project that has been four years in the making broke ground Tuesday morning in Troy.

“Today is a special day, and it’s been a four-year process to get to this point,” Troy Fire Chief Matt Simmons said. “We’re very proud to be in the city of Troy. We’ve been through a really crazy year; like most of you, your lives have really changed. At the fire department, our lives have changed, too. We didn’t know it a year ago, but thank god we’re where we’re at now.”

The new fire station, which will sit at 110 E. Canal St., will be a two-story, 17,368-square-foot facility with four drive-through bays. The station will house a 40-seat classroom, a platoon commander office, a training office, and a triage room. The station will also have apparatus bays, a turnout great room, an equipment decontamination area, and a personal decontamination area. The second floor will be the living quarters for fire personnel on shift. The area includes an open concept kitchen, dining, and day room, eight bunk rooms, three bathrooms, a fitness area and laundry. The architecture of the new brick building was designed with the aesthetic of the historic downtown in mind; KZF Design, Inc., based in Cincinnati, designed the new building, and the construction contract was awarded to Bilbrey Construction, Inc., of Dayton.

“We’re very proud of this station for a number of reasons. This is a project we really wanted to be a part of because downtown Troy and this area has such great historical quality, great context to work within, and fun people. We were able to draw from all that stuff, and those are projects that keep my team engaged,” Scott Csendes, vice president and director of civic and public safety group for KZF Design, said. “I just want to thank everybody for letting us be part of that.”

The project is estimated to cost under $5 million for both design and construction. Construction is estimated to be completed by the spring 2022.

The Troy Fire Department officially started in 1857 as the Troy Fire Company; the current fire station broke ground in 1965 and is still in operation today. According to Simmons, the original fire pole from the current fire station will be moved to the new station and that piece of history will remain in the department.

“It is exciting for this community to have a new fire station. We are saying goodbye to this old one that has outlived its time,” Troy mayor Robin Oda said. “It’s going to aid everybody in the community. You don’t see that all the time, but a new fire station will serve the community.”

Another piece of history that was part of the groundbreaking was the original shovel that was used when the current fire station broke ground in 1965; 56 years later, mayor Oda wielded the same shovel to break ground on the new fire station.

“A lot of time and effort has gone into this by many groups of people, and we’re all here to celebrate this today,” Oda said. “Congratulations to the city of Troy.”

When asked what it felt like to be at the helm of the project, Chief Simmons said he has to pinch himself every morning when he wakes up.

“It’s not just because of the job, but to be able to lead an organization of men that will literally, each day they wake up, they don’t know what they’re going to face. But you get to, after 22 years, you get to know them. For the community, this fire station is a beacon,” Simmons said. “I enjoy going through lots of different towns. I try to find fire stations because it is a reflection of the community. To have the community support us in this, it’s not just us. It’s a community project and it will be a beacon of Troy to show what Troy’s all about.”