CNH Architects have designed many fire stations throughout the year, but when they started working with the City of Coon Rapids to design a brand new facility, they were met with a new request: the ability to launch a fireworks display off of the rooftop.

And so, that it will do. Coon Rapids Fire Station #3 will be home to the city’s July 4th celebration fireworks display– the first building in the state of Minnesota to do so. Many stadiums shoot fireworks from their roofs, but as of today, no “regular” building has ever done so.

The station is bright for more reasons than just fireworks though. The 36,000 sf facility will replace an older, outdated station and be moved to a new site in town, where Cook Ice Arena once sat. The new station places an emphasis on training features and firefighter health. It is designed to include the following:

• Hose tower with training features
• Training mezzanine
• Fitness room connected to exterior turf area for circuit training
• Dorm suites
• Library, Wellness Room, and Mediation Plaza for firefighter relaxation

Another highlight includes an apparatus display that will house one of the department’s original fire engines. Displaying pieces of a fire department’s history is becoming more common as CNH recently designed a similar feature for Mendota Heights.

The facility will also include administrative spaces and classrooms and an additional Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which will serve as a backup EOC for the city.

Construction is slated to start in Spring 2022.