Troy Township Fire Buys Grace Bible Church

SHOREWOOD, IL — At last week's meeting, Shorewood Village Manager Aaron Klima brought the village board up to speed of one of the biggest real estate transactions in the area — the Troy Township Fire District has purchased the Grace Bible Church property at 748 Jones Road.

"I think I told you guys the Troy Fire District was purchasing the Jones Road church," Klima announced. "That has been completed. That again is going to be a training facility and their third station in time to be determined."

Klima said the future Troy Township Fire Station No. 3 property is not within Shorewood's village limits, but the land on Jones Road "will be in our planning area," he said.

Last July, Shorewood embarked on its own major capital improvement project, construction of a new public works facility along Mound Road.

The new building should be ready for occupancy by early summer, and it represented a $14 million investment, according to Shorewood's new Mayor CC DeBold.

Shorewood's population was around 17,495 last summer.

"We've been communicating with the fire department ever since they decided to not locate the burn tower in the public works facility," Klima told his village board last week.

For now, Troy Township Fire District has two fire stations.

Station 1 is along Route 59 at 700 Cottage St. Fire Station 2 is at 25454 Seil Road near Cene's Four Seasons Park. Troy provides fire and ambulance service for all Troy Township and Shorewood.

According to Klima, Grace Bible Church has not been used for a couple of years. He said the property had been for sale, and several entities looked at it or were approached about buying it.

Klima said he supports the Troy Township Fire District's decision to acquire the property for an eventual third fire station. As Shorewood expands to the west, Klima said it will be important to have additional fire protection west of the train tracks.

The Grace Bible Church property is surrounded by hundreds of acres of farmland. The property along Jones Road is near the intersection of County Line Road.

According to its meeting agenda, the Troy Township Fire Board meets on Tuesday, March 1, to consider spending $13,357 for new tables and new chairs for the classroom building at the former Grace Bible Church building.