Plain Township trustees will hear their first public construction update on Fire Station 122 at their Aug. 5 meeting, nine weeks after breaking ground June 3 on the facility in north New Albany.
The update from the Fire Department tops the agenda at the board's 6:30 p.m. meeting at the current fire station, 9500 Johnstown Road. Station 122, at 7373 New Albany-Condit Road where State Route 605 meets New Albany Road East, is the department's second fire station and is expected to open in 2027.
The two-story, 9,125-square-foot station was identified as a priority in Plain Township's 2023 Master Plan and funded through the 2024 fire levy. The Columbus Dispatch reported an estimated cost between $6 million and $7 million in January. The New Albany Company donated the land, and Schorr Architects of Dublin designed the building. Construction bids closed on May 19.
Six firefighter paramedics sworn in on March 18 by trustee Hans Schell will eventually staff the new station. Those hires were funded by a $1,628,441 FEMA SAFER Grant announced in November 2025, which covers 75% of salary and benefit costs in years one and two and 35% in year three.
"The SAFER Grant is a strategic investment in the safety of our community," board Chair Kerri Mollard said in November 2025, when the grant was announced. "It helps increase staffing levels and reduce response times."
Opioid funding and sheriff's report
Trustees will also vote on a resolution to increase the township's OneOhio Opioid Fund receipts. The OneOhio fund distributes opioid settlement money to Ohio subdivisions, with annual payments anticipated through 2038. The specific dollar amount of the increase was not listed on the agenda.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office, which provides law enforcement coverage for the New Albany area, will deliver a liaison report. Sheriff Dallas Baldwin leads the office.
Other business
The board will consider awarding solid waste collection and recycling processing contracts to Rumpke, disposing of obsolete fire helmets, and approving a payment to Coughlin Ford.
The meeting is open to the public at the fire station, 9500 Johnstown Road, New Albany, at 6:30 p.m.
