Ivins is about to take a major step forward in public safety, and it’s happening in a very Ivins way: through shared history, community effort, and extraordinary generosity.
The City is moving ahead with plans to remodel the Center Street Fire Station, a project expected to cost approximately $4 million. With design studies now underway, we hope to break ground within the next six months. Final decisions will depend on the results of these studies, but we believe that this remodel is both feasible and fiscally responsible.
This remodel will significantly expand and modernize the station, delivering everything an $8 million new fire station would provide and, in several respects, even more.
Rather than replacing the building, the City is choosing a smarter path: investing in the structure we already have, expanding its capacity, and ensuring it can serve Ivins well for decades to come.
Built by the Community, From the Very Beginning
Ivins’ fire station has always been a community-built effort. According to Emma Fife’s history of Ivins, The Santa Clara Bench – Ivins, Our Home beneath the Red Mountain, the first fire station was built in 1974 through volunteer labor. Residents contributed their time and skills with the understanding that, in return, the town would never shut off their water if they couldn’t pay.
It was a simple agreement rooted in trust, mutual support, and shared responsibility.
That same spirit carried forward in later years. In late 1986, the fire station had been expanded, once more with substantial volunteer involvement. Generations of Ivins residents quite literally built the station that continues to protect the community today. Now, nearly 40 years later, Ivins is preparing for the next chapter.
A Transformational Gift, Given in a Community Spirit
A central reason this project is now possible is a remarkable $2 million donation from Ivins resident Geoff Schmidt, made through his Geoffrey Schmidt Foundation.
Geoff’s contribution will likely cover half the total project cost and will be provided upfront at a groundbreaking ceremony before construction begins. This approach gives the City financial certainty, allows public funds to stretch further, and enables the City to earn interest on the funds until construction draws are made.
Just as importantly, Geoff has described his gift as seed money, intended to encourage matching contributions from the broader community and to strengthen the City’s ability to pursue state, federal, and public safety grant opportunities. Leveraging this gift to attract additional funding is a significant opportunity.
True to Ivins values, Geoff has suggested that the remodeled building be named the “Ivins Community Fire Station,” keeping the focus squarely on the community rather than on any individual. His gift is not about recognition; it’s about strengthening the place he calls home.
Staying true to Ivins tradition, Geoff has even offered to show up with his jackhammer and help with demolition. Not a joke. He has two of them. While the City will rely on licensed professionals for the remodel, his offer reflects exactly what this project is about: neighbors stepping up, pitching in, and taking pride in the community they’ve helped build.
Why the Remodel Is Needed Now
This project is not about extravagance. It’s about necessity and foresight. Ivins has ordered a new ladder truck to meet growing public safety needs, but the current fire station bays are not long enough to house it. The remodel will add two longer apparatus bays, improve internal layouts, and modernize the facility so our firefighters have a station that matches the level of service they provide every day.
The expanded station is also being designed with a long view in mind. Fire stations must be planned decades ahead, and the remodel will comfortably support the two Fire and EMS response teams that Ivins is expected to need as the community grows.
Equally important are safety and functionality improvements, including updated stairways, a contamination shower, a fire pole, and redesigned bays with rear ingress and front egress doors. These pull-through bays eliminate the need for backing apparatus into the station, improving safety for both firefighters and the public.
The result will be a safer, more functional station that supports our community’s needs for decades to come.
A Smarter Path Forward
Mayor Chris Hart played a key role in advancing a remodel concept that meets today’s public safety needs while planning responsibly for the future. Rather than pursuing a far more expensive replacement facility, he recommended a remodel strategy that will breathe new life into the existing station, extending its usefulness by 40 years or more.
Beyond the concept itself, Mayor Hart developed the initial layout showing how these goals could be achieved and, echoing the volunteer efforts that built both the original station and the expanded station, has offered to help shepherd the project through to completion.
The plan also allows the Police Department to gain additional space with an addition to the building, ensuring that Ivins’ public safety departments can grow and adapt together over time.
Honoring the Past While Building the Future
As part of the remodel, the City is exploring ways to honor both Ivins’ firefighting history and the community members who make this project possible. Ideas include:
- A donor commemorative wall recognizing community members who contribute toward the project, with sections reflecting different levels of giving.
- A historical plaque documenting the origins of the fire station and the volunteer efforts that built and expanded it over time. I read and re-read Emma’s beautiful history of this community. We need to do something amazing to celebrate and preserve it.
These features would celebrate a tradition of community investment that spans generations.
Join the Tradition: Help Build the Next Chapter
While a significant portion of the remaining project cost will be covered through public safety impact fees from developers, those funds will not cover the full balance. Community support will play an important role in closing that gap and ensuring the project moves forward on a strong, sustainable footing.
In parallel, the City will actively pursue state, federal, and foundation grant opportunities, using Geoff’s donation as a powerful matching tool to help maximize every dollar invested in this project.
The City has hired an architectural and engineering team to complete a detailed study of costs, phasing, and timing. That work is expected to be completed in the next 45 days, at which point more information will be shared about next steps and opportunities for community participation.
Just as residents came together in 1974 and again in the 1980s, the City is inviting the community to help carry this tradition forward. Those interested in supporting the project or learning more about the renovation plans or future ways to support the project are welcome to contact me at mscott@ivinsutah.gov.
This is an opportunity to be part of something lasting: to help build a safer Ivins, to honor those who came before us, and to leave a visible mark on a place that has always been built by the people it serves.
Let’s once again proudly say, “This is our station, built together, once again.”
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