Bismarck selects site for $6.5 million Fire Station 6

Bismarck’s Fire Department selected a city-owned site in south Bismarck for a planned Fire Station 6, with the city estimating the project at about $6.5 million. The City Commission received an update on Oct. 13, 2026, but took no action on the station item, according to the meeting summary.

A site intended to serve far-south Bismarck

The city places the site at Burleigh Avenue and Calypso Drive, west of Washington Street and about half a mile south of the wastewater treatment plant. It says the station is intended to serve the far-south part of the city.

Fire Chief Joel Boespflug said the department chose the location after analyzing fire-service demand, risk and response performance. The city says staff examined several locations along Washington Street and Burleigh Avenue using fire data and geographic information system mapping. Boespflug said the aim is to bring response times in far-south Bismarck below the department’s stated appropriate thresholds. The city announcement does not give a quantified estimate of any response-time change.

The planned building would have a brick-veneer face and a metal roof with multiple pitches. The city says it has increased staffing incrementally since 2023 in preparation for the station. Additional staff are currently operating from the south fire station until the new one is operational. An additional engine and equipment are expected to be in service in early 2027.

Estimates and planned procurement

The city’s announcement gives an overall project estimate of about $6.5 million and says the work will use dollars identified by earlier commissions. The Oct. 13 commission meeting summary reports a $6.4 million construction estimate, excluding soft costs. The announcement and meeting summary do not clarify whether the figures have different scopes or reconcile them.

Bismarck’s 2026 final budget lists $5.8 million for the Station 6 fire station and a separate $1.2 million line for its fire truck. The budget announcement does not explain how the station amount relates to the current project estimate or how the separate truck line relates to that estimate.

The meeting summary lists Oct. 29, 2026, as the planned bid date, with bids expected before Thanksgiving and commission consideration anticipated Dec. 15. Those are reported expectations, not completed steps. The site selection and project update do not establish that construction has been approved or a contract awarded.