Washington University is leasing a parcel of land to University City for a new firehouse.

University City hopes to break ground on a new firehouse in early 2012, nearly three years after receiving a federal stimulus grant to replace its current facilities.

The University is leasing the land to University City for one dollar per year for 75 years. The city applied for a grant to cover the cost of the construction of the firehouse.

While the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which was passed in February of that year, granted $2.6 million for the firehouse, the City Council of University City did not officially approve construction on the firehouse until Nov. 14 of this year.

“We had a complaint filed by a citizen to FEMA about the grant application,” said Don Miner, the fire chief of the University City Fire Department. “We went through an investigation for a year and a half.”

The facility will be located at the intersection of Vernon Avenue and Westgate Avenue.

Since the fire department needed a total of $3.4 million to finish the facility, the national funding proved insufficient. The previous city council approved an additional $200,000 of funding.

Replacing the current firehouse has become important in recent years, as the current firehouse— located on Delmar Boulevard near City Hall—has become outdated and inadequate for the current fire department.

“The original firehouse was over 100 years old,” Miner said. “Our electrical and plumbing were outdated, and there were questions about the structure itself.”

While much of University City supported building a new firehouse, some citizens did not. According to Miner, their reasons ranged from the high cost to worries about flooding at the new location, despite the 500-year flood protection included in the lease.

Washington University made crucial contributions to the negotiations between the fire department and the city over the land needed to build the firehouse.

“We had to maintain a distance between the engine houses to meet certain regulations, which limited us on going west with the engine house,” Miner said. “There is not a lot of open property in the city. There was dialogue between Wash. U. and city administration.”

Cheryl Adelstein, the director of community relations and local government affairs at Washington University, said that it was easier for the city to receive the stimulus grant because it had a piece of land secured.

“We looked at the property and decided that a fire station would be an appropriate use on that parcel,” Adelstein said. “The University offered a long-term lease on the property for a nominal fee and the University City Council approved the lease agreement.”

The University remained neutral throughout the University City debate over funding the firehouse.

“That was a local decision and the University would respect whatever they decided to do,” Adelstein said.

Both Miner and Adelstein emphasized the importance of the University City Fire Department in the daily life of Washington University students, especially the large number who live in University City.

“Washington University owns academic buildings and student housing in University City,” Adelstein said. “The University counts on the University City Fire Department to respond to emergency situations at these properties.”

Miner said the fire department appreciates the support of the University, with whom the department has collaborated numerous times in the past, such as in reacting to fire alarms in the University’s buildings in University City.

“We value our partnership with Wash. U.,” Miner said. “They are as much a part of the community as we are.”