STRUTHERS — City voters approved a bond issue to generate $2 million for a new fire station.

The bond issue won approval from 82 percent of those voting, according to unofficial results from the Mahoning County Board of Elections.

Struthers fire Chief William Simcox Jr. said the new fire station will be built at 238 Elm St., about a quarter-mile from the current station. Dan Becker of Becker Funeral Homes donated the land to the city.

“He wanted to see the fire station being built. Becker’s father was a firefighter over 70 years ago. We plan on putting a plaque on the new station to honor Becker’s father,” Mayor Terry Stocker. “We’re grateful for the donation.”

The current fire station was built in 1942 and has been in use for 77 years.

“We outgrew our old station. We had to replace our heating system twice,” Simcox said.

The new fire station will be modern with such features as a community room, showers and three bays, Simcox said.

Stocker said it would cost about $2 million to build the new station.

“It’s a bond issue. If you’re a homeowner with $50,000 home in Struthers, it will cost you about $35 a year in property taxes,” Stocker said. Stocker said that would be over 13 years, and after that, the debt will retire.

He said construction on the new fire station will start at the end of 2020.

“It will take about a year and a half to build. That’s a pretty fair estimate, so it should be completed by 2021,” Stocker said.

Tthe new fire station will be 7,000 square feet.

“It will be a state-of-the-art facility. There will be enough space for all of the firefighter equipment,” Stocker said.

Stocker said the old fire station will be used for storage and record retention.

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