City planners see the need for a new fire station in downtown Bellevue. City staff has been considering potential locations for a new downtown fire station since 2002, when it was forecast that there would be large population growth, in new buildings, in downtown Bellevue. City officials believe a city-owned site would reduce the cost of a new station by approximately $3 million.
On Monday, the city council considered the possibility of locating both a fire station and community center in a single facility at Ashwood Park. Ultimately, council members decided to consider other locations for a fire station.
A downtown fire station has long been under consideration, however, the the timing was inopportune considering the weak economy. Call volume downtown increased by only 8 percent from 2007 to 2011, so the project has not been considered urgent.
