GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Fire Department is ready to break ground on its new $46 million training center on Thursday—the city’s first dedicated training center for firefighters.
The center spans 97,875 square feet of main buildings with classrooms, maintenance areas and a new Emergency Operations Center. There will also be a five-story burn building so firefighters can get realistic training.
Previously, the fire department used leased space in the Water Department building, with a separate burn building on Butterworth Street. Once the city approved its riverfront redevelopment project, the fire department began searching for a more permanent training space…