More than 20 years after it was first discussed, Highland Park is ready to share its new fire station with the community

Work on Highland Park’s new fire station is nearly complete — more than two decades after city officials first envisioned replacing Ravinia Fire Station #32. 

Highland Park City Manager Ghida Neukirch provided the city council with a brief update during its Monday, June 12 meeting, saying construction is in the “final stages.”

Neukirch also told council members that the city will be hosting an open house for the newly constructed fire station, which is located at 692 Burton Ave., from 8-10:30 a.m. on July 15.

According to information from the city’s website, the open house will include “guided tours for everyone to get the best look of the Fire Department’s new operations along with engine and ambulance tours, a photo wall, public education tables and more.” Coffee, juice, doughnuts and bagels will also be served, officials said. 

“We’ve been talking about this project for over 20 years, but it was really the city council that made sure that we included the costs in the budget and made this very important public safety and infrastructure investment project possible,” Neukirch said. 

While the project has been under consideration for decades, planning officially got underway in early 2021 when city officials detailed the scope of work publicly. Demolition of the old fire station started in March of 2022, according to city records.   

Additional information about the project can be found on the city’s website.

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Subscribe to The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a subscriber? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.