Pell City is moving forward with a new Fire Station No. 4 after the city council approved an architectural design proposal on October 12, clearing the way for a roughly 9,000-square-foot replacement facility on property the city purchased along U.S. Highway 78. The project comes five months after the department's original Station No. 4 in Eden was shut down when inspectors found irreparable moisture damage behind a bedroom wall, damage that had spread throughout the 27-year-old building.
According to WBMA, the review that led to the closure concluded the old station was no longer safe to house firefighters, and investigators traced the problem back to the building's original 1999 construction, which lacked a proper exterior moisture barrier. The new facility, designed by CMH Architects, is meant to give firefighters serving Eden and the surrounding area updated accommodations after months of displacement.
How Firefighters Have Covered Eden Since May
Since the closure, the Station No. 4 crew has operated out of Fire Station No. 1 at 3040 Cogswell Avenue, according to the Daily Dispatch. That arrangement kept emergency coverage in place for Eden residents while the city worked out a permanent fix, and the city pursued a dedicated replacement on Highway 78.
The new building itself is designed with room to grow. Plans call for two truck bays, five bunk rooms and four bathrooms, along with a kitchen and day room, a gear room, a workout room and an office, the station's reported layout shows. City officials expect construction drawings to be underway by the end of the year, with construction itself projected to take about 12 months once work begins.
Leadership Changes Shaped the Project's Direction
The Station No. 4 overhaul is unfolding under new departmental leadership. Jerry Dailey was sworn in as Pell City's fire chief in March after 20 years with the department, stepping into the role after former chief Tim Kurzejeski was appointed city manager, per the St. Clair News-Aegis. Kurzejeski had served as fire chief since 2019 before moving into city administration in late 2025, the outlet reported separately.
CMH Architects, the Birmingham firm behind the new Station No. 4 design, also designed Pell City's new Fire Station No. 2 on U.S. 231 South, an approximately $8.6 million, 16,600-square-foot facility that relocates the station from beside the Civic Center to improve response times along Lake Logan Martin. That earlier project's construction bids reportedly came in below the city's pre-bid estimates, giving officials a cost track record with the firm heading into the Highway 78 build.
Part of a Broader Public Safety Building Push
Station No. 4 is one piece of a larger construction cycle for Pell City's public safety infrastructure. The city is also building a standalone police department facility of approximately 15,000 square feet with local contractor Goodgame Company, placing the fire station project within what Discover St. Clair has described as an ongoing citywide municipal building boom.
The new station carries an estimated price tag of $5 million to $5.25 million, and the city plans to pay for it out of its capital reserve fund rather than taking on debt.
That same FY 2026 budget set aside $5.8 million for the fire department within a $34.8 million General Fund, adding three firefighter-medic positions and additional officer roles. Pell City Fire & Rescue currently runs four stations with 64 firefighters and fire-medics covering about 16,000 residents across a 27-square-mile service area, according to the city's fire department.
Pay Increase Amid Station Plans
The St. Clair News-Aegis reported a 6.3% employee pay increase. The increase comes as the city expands firefighter staffing and pushes forward with the Station No. 4 rebuild.
The Station No. 4 project aims to give Eden-area firefighters a permanent home after about five months of displacement.
