A 1927 Grand Rapids Firehouse With a Working Fire Pole Just Listed at $1.4 Million

Reddit's title for this one: "Stunning and ready for you to act out your Ghostbusters cosplay... (yes, there's a pole)." The pole in question is a genuine fire pole, preserved in the welcoming foyer of the converted GRFD Engine No. 8 firehouse at 40 Lexington Avenue NW in Grand Rapids — a 1927 brick building now operating as a three-unit multifamily property listed at $1,395,000.

What the Conversion Produced

The building has been meticulously renovated into three distinct units, each with its own character. The upper primary unit — accessible by elevator — is the showpiece: two bedrooms, two full baths, in-unit laundry, and historic details throughout including exposed brick and oversized arched windows. The lower one-bedroom unit has a recently renovated kitchen with a live-edge island and direct patio access. Above that sits the "Hayloft" — a cozy one-bedroom, one-bath unit with floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the space with natural light, perched where horses once waited between calls. The garage, which fits five cars and doubles as a recreational space, contains a pickleball court. A fourth unit could potentially be carved from the garage footprint. Five garage parking spaces and four exterior spots round out a property that, for an urban multifamily investment, is genuinely difficult to replicate. The fire pole, to be clear, is in the foyer. It is not a decorative element. It works.

The Location and the Math

The building sits moments from Grand Rapids' new soccer stadium and amphitheater, in a West Side neighborhood with real momentum. Annual taxes are $12,515 on an assessed value of $248,926 — a meaningful gap from the $1,395,000 ask that reflects the renovation investment and the income potential of three rental units. The listing notes tenants pay their own electric and gas. At $449 per square foot for a 1927 firehouse with a Hayloft apartment, a pickleball garage, and a fire pole in the foyer, the price is working as hard as the building has been since 1927. The Chicago firehouse entry earlier in this series noted the fire pole was ready but not installed. This one did not make that mistake.

The Internet Has Thoughts

Naturally, this listing caught the attention of Reddit's r/zillowgonewild community. See what people are saying about it here.

A fire pole in the foyer, a Hayloft apartment, a pickleball garage, and three income-producing units. Grand Rapids, $1,395,000. View the full listing here.