City purchases property for new downtown fire hall

The Windsor Fire and Rescue Services building is shown in this file photo in Windsor, Ont., Dec. 5, 2012. (Melanie Borrelli / CTV Windsor)

The property for the new Windsor Fire & Rescue Services headquarters has been purchased by the City of Windsor.

Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens told AM800's The Morning Drive Tuesday that the city has purchased the former Morris Sutton Funeral Home property at the corner of Giles Boulevard and Goyeau Street.

Dilkens says the plan is to construct a new fire station #1 on the site.

He says the city needs a lot of money to be able to move forward with a new fire hall, so construction will not begin for a while.

"But when that land became available for sale, the chief and the staff at Windsor Fire & Rescue ran the numbers, looked at the timing and the location and placement of a new fire hall #1 and they determined that, allows them to respond appropriately and so we put an offer in, that offer was accepted and the city now owes that property," he says. "It's an expensive project but in this climate when you have land that becomes available that meets the needs, we move to take that land, this was just willing buyer, willing seller, we put an offer and it was accepted."

Dilkens says Windsor fire had money set aside to acquire property and says it's completely within budget.

Station #1 is currently located at the corner of Goyeau Street and Elliott Street.It's also home to the Emergency Communications Centre, Windsor fire administration, public education, and fire prevention divisions.

~ With files from AM800 News.