Fire Station Study Could Get State Funding Boost

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — A longtime town public safety building could be getting a closer look with help from the state.

State Sen. John A. Kissel announced Thursday that the Connecticut Bond Commission is scheduled to consider a proposed $250,000 Community Investment Fund grant for Windsor Locks. The money would support a feasibility study for the Windsor Locks Fire Department building.

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If approved, the funding would help the town evaluate future needs for fire department facilities and plan for long-term public safety infrastructure improvements, according to Kissel’s office.

“Our firefighters provide an essential service to the community every day,” Kissel said in the announcement. “This proposed funding would help Windsor Locks plan for the future and ensure our first responders have the facilities necessary to continue serving residents safely and effectively.”

The item is listed on the agenda for Friday’s Bond Commission meeting.

The Windsor Locks Fire Department was organized in 1890 and operates out of one station on Volunteer Drive, according to the department. The department said the fire station was located downtown for its first 84 years before the police and fire departments moved in 1974 to the newly built Public Safety Complex on Volunteer Drive as part of downtown redevelopment.

Town records show the building has already been the subject of local discussion. Draft Planning and Zoning Commission minutes from December said an informational session was planned regarding a $250,000 CIF grant request for a feasibility study on the former safety complex.

Those minutes said the study would determine the best use of the building, which was described as having suffered from decades of lacking maintenance. The minutes cited multiple structural and interior issues, including roof leaks, deteriorated ceilings, damaged floors and outdated or unsafe components.

The fire department also raised building needs during a Board of Finance discussion in December. Minutes from that meeting show Fire Commissioner Mark Urso and Fire Chief Gary Ruggiero requested $100,000 for deferred building maintenance, in addition to a separate request for a third Hurst rescue tool.

The Board of Finance minutes from March also referenced a $250,000 CIF grant to evaluate the potential renovation or replacement of the fire department facility.

The Bond Commission agenda describes the Windsor Locks item as a Fire Department Building Feasibility Study. The agenda says the planning would help determine the highest and best use of the Windsor Locks Fire Department building.