NAMPA, Idaho — The Nampa Fire Protection District has found a new administrative home near Midland and Caldwell Boulevard, solving a years-long search for a permanent space.
WATCH | After years of searching, Nampa Fire says it finally has a place of its own—
The district plans to move into the new building at the beginning of June. Currently, day-to-day operations happen in downtown Nampa, but Chief Kirk Carpenter said that was never the long-term plan.
The search for space goes back to when the fire district split from the city.
RELATED | Nampa Fire Protection District and Nampa City Council discuss need for dedicated space
"At the same time, it was identified that the police department was growing at a pace in which they were going to need more space. So, during that year, the fire department was moved out of the public safety building and into this location," Carpenter said.
The district previously considered moving near a bowling alley, but a pause in federal grant funding put those plans on hold. Carpenter said the city's $880,000 figure was based on a 2021 valuation, which does not go far enough in today's market.
"It isn't enough to purchase a new building; new buildings today are significantly more per square foot," Carpenter said.
ALSO READ | DOGE grant pause impacts Nampa Fire's staffing reimbursements and admin building plans
Instead of spending money on rent, the district is purchasing the new property, which Carpenter said benefits taxpayers because the district is putting money into something it can keep.
While the new building is smaller than their current space, Carpenter said it will be easier to grow into.
"The actual new building is a little bit smaller than the space we're in right now. However, it's single story, and it's a square, and so we can take advantage of the space that's not being used currently for offices, and we can add offices," Carpenter said.
For Canyon County happenings, news, and more— join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News - Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
