Grand Traverse Fire Station

With a population over 15,000, Traverse City is the largest city in the county of Grand Traverse in Michigan. Fire Station #12 serves Garfield, Acme and East Bay townships providing rescue services, fire safety information and education, inspections, permits and more.

Concerns about the environmental impact of the station, and protecting the health of local waterways and environmental assets drove the decision to build an environmentally sustainable station and use permeable pavers for the driveway. The building achieved a LEED NC2.2 Gold rating, due in part to the Unilock Eco-Optiloc™ permeable paving system chosen for the driveway. These pavers are the optimal solution for the pavement at a fire station as they seamlessly combine superior load bearing properties, drainage capabilities reducing runoff with the added benefit of filtering harmful pollutants through the system. Additionally, by ensuring the water goes through the system, it minimizes any increase in water temperature which is detrimental to local waterways.  The wider joints create a permeable surface that helps to mitigate damage done by storm water run off, and their patented L-shape design achieves superior lock-up to withstand the heaviest of loads, including fire trucks.