Federal Review Upholds Grant Money for New University City Firehouse

Federal authorities have upheld a multi-million dollar construction grant that was awarded to University City in October of 2009 to build a new fire station.

The grant was thrown into limbo in July of 2010 after the Federal Emergency Management Agency began investigating claims that the grant application contained false or misleading information. The main allegation was that the fire department’s representation of the fire station as structurally unsound was not supported.

In a press release dated March 2011, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, stated that a FEMA engineer recommended that the $2.6 million grant money awarded to U City "remain intact."

"Based on actions that FEMA took to examine the allegations, we consider this matter closed, and a response to this report is not required," stated the press release from the Homeland Security Department.

U City resident Greg Pace is a civil engineer who had questioned some of the claims in the application. When U City Patch asked Pace for comment about the review's findings he directed me to his analysis of the grant application. Here is that link.

According to the press release, the 2009 grant application by then University City Fire Chief Steve Olshwanger said the fire station at 6801 Delmar Boulevard had “extensive mold and mildew,” and was unsafe and uninhabitable because it is was structurally unsound. Olshwanger is now the Fire Chief of the Maryland Heights Fire Protection District.  

A FEMA engineer inspected the fire station on December 15, 2010. The engineer stated in his report that he found "minor mistakes in the application," but that "none of the applicant’s answers could be seen as egregious, evasive or purposefully misleading.”

University City Patch emailed City Manager Lehman Walker and Mayor Shelley Welsch on March 26th seeking comment on the report. Both wrote back to say they would comment once the City had received official confirmation.

Councilmember Stephen Kraft told University City Patch, "Our current fire house is a renovated printing plant and that is over 100 years old.  This grant allows us to build a new facilty without raising taxes."

According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Police Department is slated to take over the Delmar fire house once the new fire station is built. No word on why the fire house is ok for police to use despite claims in the grant application that the building is unsafe. 

City Manager Lehman Walker told the Post on April 2, 2011 that the City hopes to break ground on the new fire station this fall. That building is slated to be built on Vernon Avenue.