By David Fleet
Editor
Groveland Twp.-Construction of a new Fire Station One and Michigan State Police outpost could begin as early as this summer.
Township officials said last week that plans have been ongoing to replace the aging 70 year old structure located at 14645 Dixie Highway and Grange Hall Road.
The building was the township’s first fire station and was owned by Oakland County during the 1970s. The building was also a doctors office and at one time a Kaiser-Frazer car dealership. In 1952, the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was renamed Kaiser Motors Corporation and continued building passenger cars through 1955.
“The building is just too old,” said DePalma. “It’s a 70 year old building with at least four different heating systems. It’s just inefficient and the utilities are astronomical, but that’s part of the reason it should be replaced. The building has been added on many times.”
The current fire department building is located on just over two and one half acres of township owned property. The property is commercial which would caputre tax revenues. .
“The money we get from selling the building will facilitate a new building on another peice of township property,” he said. “We will complete the new fire station/MSP outpost facility before evacuating the current building.”
DePalma said there has been interest in purchasing property and a solid comprehensive appraisal has been completed.
“The consensus is that once the ORV park opens this July the property along Dixie Highway will increase in value,” he said. “But is it a 20 percent increase or 100 percent bump in price? Not sure yet, however, that would drive the value. At least two parties have expressed a strong interest in the property. We’ll get a very good offer and it will not hamper the fire department and the township will own the building and property. I’d like to get the projecting going this year.”
DePalma and with Kevin Mason, township fire chief consulted with an architect for a new building design that will be all on one level, with eight bays for trucks and MSP cars and include about 4,000 square feet for the state police. There will be 2-3,000 square feet for the fire department.
“The kitchen and meeting/training area will be shared between the fire department and MSP,” he said.

The new building will be about 12,000 square foot and located on township property near the Michigan Mutual Aid Box Alarm System or MABAS storage warehouse, a 17,000 square feet facility located at 7337 Grange Hall Road on about two acres of township property.
The building will be a free span steel building and home to about eight troopers. In 2011, the MSP announced that 19 former MSP posts statewide, including Groveland Township, will convert to detachments, facilities where troopers can start and end their shifts, store property/evidence and meet with the public by appointment.