Franklin Looks At Expanding DPW Facility, Relocating Fire Station

FRANKLIN, WI — The city of Franklin is looking at expanding its DPW facility at 7979 Ryan Road and relocating Franklin Fire Department Station No. 2, currently on 60th Street, to the revamped site.

The City of Franklin Committee of the Whole learned more about a study into the possibility on Monday. A board report states the DPW building has outgrown its facility since its construction, and in June of 2021, Kueny Architects was awarded a contract to study the issue.

Because vehicles have gotten larger since the facility was built, a lot of the DPW buildings have met their capacity to store equipment, a representative from Kueny told the committee in the meeting, and the existing buildings may need maintenance down the road.

"If nothing happens to this building, roofs are gonna have to be looked at, caulking, tuckpointing, things like that are going to have to be done regardless," the representative said in the presentation.

Amid discussion of a possible DPW expansion, the Franklin Fire Department noted a fourth fire station may be needed soon with the anticipated growth in the southwest part of the city.

But if Fire Station No. 2 on 60th Street was relocated to a new building at the DPW site, the city could continue to be served by three stations, the city's report to the committee said.

"What we're trying to do is think outside the box with the growth coming to the west and the southwest of the city, how can we construct one station that really is going to act as two stations," a Kueny representative said in the meeting about the DPW and fire station plans.

A new fire station could also serve as a central storage area for the city's other stations. Administration and training facilities would be included with the new fire station, allowing for them to be relocated from Station No. 1 to further free up space, according to the presentation on the study.

The Kueny study's initial master plan presented Monday would place a new fire station against Ryan Road, while DPW buildings and the recycling yard would be expanded or pushed slightly south with driveways against the 80th Street cul-de-sac.

According to the study presented Monday by Kueny Architects, the overall cost for just the DPW project, including the cost to build, special items and other costs could amount to $15.9-18 million. To construct a new Fire Station No. 2 could overall cost about $6.7-7.5 million.