Yonkers to Build New Firehouse to Replace Condemned One

Yonkers will build a new firehouse downtown, the first to be constructed in 35 years, Mayor Mike Spano announced Thursday.

The new building will replace Station 1 on New School Street, which was condemned earlier this summer because cracks were discovered in exterior walls, among other problems. That structure was nearly 90 years old and will be torn down.

“It has become clear after extensive cost analysis and recommendations from experienced contractors and engineers that it is cost-prohibitive to rebuild Firehouse Station 1,” said Spano in a statement. “Therefore, it has been decided the City will invest in building a new, state of the art firehouse that will be modern, more efficient and compatible to the way our fire department operates in the 21st century.”

The last firehouse built in Yonkers, Fire Station 8 on Warburton Avenue, was constructed in 1980.

Spano made the announcement during a press conference at Elm Street and Palisade Avenue, one of the potential sites for the new firehouse. A final decision on where the new firehouse will be located will be determined after convening the School Street Firehouse Reconstruction Committee, which will study the issue.

The committee, to be appointed by Spano, will have representatives from the City’s Fire, Planning & Development, Engineering and Public Works departments, the Mayor’s Office and the City’s fire unions. The goals of the committee will be to identify the new site of the firehouse and to create expedited specifications for a request for proposal (RFP) for the firehouse’s development, according to officials.

Other possible locations for the new firehouse, which is estimated to cost up to $15 million to construct, also include:

• Site of old firehouse Station 1 on New School Street
• Property across from the Chicken Island parcel on Palisade Ave., which includes city-owned 43 Palisade Ave.
• Near Cacace Justice Center with a parking garage
• And any other locations the Committee believes to be viable in downtown Yonkers

Added John Darcy, Yonkers Fire Commissioner, “I support Mayor Spano’s decision to construct a new firehouse in downtown Yonkers. As an integral part of the Firehouse Reconstruction Committee, I will ensure the location and specs of the new station are ideal for not only for our firefighters, but also for the safety of our residents.”

It is expected the City will release the RFP for the new firehouse by Oct. 1, anticipating the development and construction of the new firehouse to be complete by 2018.

Photo: Yonkers Fire Department Station 1. Photo credit: City of Yonkers