Morgantown's downtown fire station moving to Don Knotts Boulevard
Dec. 27—MORGANTOWN — Morgantown Fire Department Station 1 has called South High Street home since 1954.
That's about to change.
The city announced Wednesday that the empty lot at the corner of Don Knotts Boulevard and Prairie Avenue has been selected as the future home of the downtown station.
The purchase of that property will be put before Morgantown City Council during its Jan. 2 regular meeting.
"This new location will allow quick, direct access to Don Knotts Boulevard, " Assistant City Manager Emily Muzzarelli said.
According to a city press release, the city worked closely with the Morgantown Fire Department to evaluate existing and new locations as it pertains to response times, size accommodations and other factors.
In May, Muzzarelli said FGM Architects was also conducting a feasibility and needs assessment as part of the process.
"We toured several other sites to evaluate those as well, " she said at the time.
The new station will be funded, at least in portion, using $6 million in Congressionally Directed Spending, or earmarks. The city learned in January it was receiving the funds to replace the current South High Street facility.
"The Morgantown Fire Department is appreciative of Senators Capito and Manchin for their support, " Fire Chief Eugene Deem said. "This new, larger facility will be a central asset to protecting the residents of Morgantown for decades to come."
