Penticton City Council on Tuesday (Aug. 20) endorsed submitting a grant application to help pay for a $37 million plan that will include constructing a new local fire hall headquarters building.
Municipal politicians directed staff to apply for a provincial grant of up to $7 million for the project, which includes building a new headquarters for fire personnel at 271 Dawson Ave. and upgrading Fire Hall #1 (250 Nanaimo Ave. West) to serve as a satellite station and emergency operations centre.
City officials say the upgrades will replace outdated infrastructure, with Penticton's current fire department facilities reaching the end of their useful life.
鈥淲e鈥檝e adapted as best we can, but the reality is we need modern infrastructure to meet the growing needs of our community," said Penticton Fire Chief Mike Larsson. "This project will allow us to respond faster, train better, and keep our crews and residents safer."
The project represents one segment of the city's Civic Places & Spaces strategy, a report published in 2021 that also calls for the development of a new arts and cultural centre and potential replacement of Memorial and McLaren arenas.
While building the new fire hall is expected to cost $36.84 million, adjusted for anticipated inflation, renovations at Fire Hall #1 on Nanaimo Avenue are pegged for $1 million, according to the city.
Its strategy to pay for the $38 million plan, through annual debt payments, will be presented to city council during its 2026鈥�2030 financial plan budget deliberations.
Early estimates provided by the city indicate the cost could be between $2.5 million and $3.2 million annually, based on a 20 or 30-year term.
"Should the city be successful in this grant application, the borrowing amount and relative debt servicing cost would be reduced," said Kelsey Johnson, the city's general manager of community services. "So, we're going to plan to borrow up to $38 million, apply for a $7 million grant, and adjust accordingly."
Preliminary design work on the headquarters 鈥� released in March 2025 鈥� featured a four-storey structural steel frame hose tower, fire administration offices and operational space for training, equipment maintenance, decontamination, and communications. It also included four tandem fire apparatus bays, eight dorms, and appropriate living space to support firefighters through 24-hour shifts.
The new facility and renovations to Fire Hall #1 on Nanaimo Avenue will "improve emergency response times, provide safer working conditions for firefighters, and ensure the city is prepared for future emergencies," reads a press release from the city.
"I'm looking forward to our firefighters and first responders having a place that accommodates them in a much more renewed space," added Coun. Isaac Gilbert. "And, I like the idea of having the headquarters in the centre of the city."
