Platteville Fire Station Slated To Receive Federal Funding From Recently Passed Omnibus Appropriations Package

March 14, 2022 – Millions of dollars in federal funding are slated to flow into local area projects as part of an appropriations bill propelling through Congress.   

Efforts to build a new fire station in Platteville is among the projects that would receive funding under the $1.5 trillion omnibus appropriations package that passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 9 and the Senate on Thursday, March 10.

“From supporting our firefighters and law enforcement officers to increasing flood resiliency, these projects would make a big impact on our communities and I’m proud to have advocated for them in Congress,” said U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., in a press release.

Area projects announced that are to receive funding under the appropriations bill include:

• $7 million for a new fire station in Platteville.
• $4 million to help build a new Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County in Darlington, Wis.
• $615,000 for a trail project on Chaplain Schmitt Island in Dubuque.
• $500,000 to develop affordable housing options in Jones County, Iowa.
• $400,000 toward an expansion project at East Dubuque (Ill.) District Library.
• $300,000 to support Community Health Systems Inc. in expanding its behavioral health department in Darlington.
• $262,500 for an emergency operations center in Jackson County, Iowa.
• $231,000 for Gundersen Health System to start a pediatric-focused mobile health unit that will serve an area that includes southwest Wisconsin.
• $54,000 to Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program for the Iowa County Food Pantry.

“It’s going to be huge for our community,” commented Platteville City Manager Adam Ruechel.

Platteville is currently soliciting bids for the design of the new fire station, the most recent cost estimate for which is $8 million to $13 million.

A $7 million appropriation for the project would drastically reduce the burden of the project on local taxpayers, Ruechel said, noting that the City of Platteville also has agreements with other municipalities to provide fire services.

“When you have already $7 million secured, that’s a much easier conversation to have with potential donors and potential municipalities that are going to have to raise their taxes to pay for the new station,” Ruechel added.