Palm Beach officials gathered at the North Fire Station on Thursday to mark the renovation and “grand reopening” of the historic building.
More than 50 people attended the ceremony, including Mayor Danielle Moore, Fire Chief Sean Baker, Town Council members, Town Manager Kirk Blouin, Police Chief Nicholas Caristo, town department heads and firefighters.
The station quietly returned to service in late March after a $17 million reconstruction that began in 2022 and took nearly three years to complete.
Moore said the reconstruction “demonstrates the commitment that the Town of Palm Beach and your elected officials have to the preservation of our town, to doing the right thing.”
She said the town’s first responders deserve the thoroughly renovated, modern facility: “They’re the best. We want them to have the best and we’re committed to giving them the best.”
Baker said the station has deep roots in the town. It was built in 1927 and is the third oldest functioning fire station in Florida. The three-story building was last renovated in the late 1980s and designated a historic landmark of the town in 1988.
“For nearly 100 years, this station has served as an anchor to the North End,” Baker said. “But as the town evolved, so did the needs for the station. This facility is now state-of-the-art in its design … It’s truly a work of art.”
The station responds to emergency calls from Royal Poinciana Way to the northern tip of the island. Its 12 personnel include Baker, Assistant Fire Chief Joseph Sekula, two division chiefs, a fire inspector, two support staff, and five firefighter/paramedics.
Construction began in 2022 to correct damage caused by roof leaks and water and mold intrusion that resulted from the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005. During the renovation, the personnel operated out of a temporary facility adjacent to the station at 300 North County Road.
The renovation was originally pegged at $5.5 million – a figure that mushroomed to $17 million after extensive deterioration was discovered during the early stage or the renovation. Termite-ridden wood, corroded steel beams, sagging rafters, stress cracks in the walls, and evidence of spalling in the building’s concrete columns were found.
The building’s roof, tower, and other structural components were deemed a safety hazard for the contractor, which necessitated additional demolition before the renovation could be completed.
The project’s architectural design team was Bridges Marsh of Palm Beach.
The building was completely rebuilt. But the original footprint and much of the original design, and key historical features, including the original brick façade, have been preserved. Much of the old brick was left exposed in designated areas throughout the station.
During a June 4 tour of the fire station, Assistant Fire Chief Sekula praised town officials for preserving the history of the station while modernizing it wherever possible.
On the first floor, the kitchen has been refurbished into a spacious, open-concept commercial design. Generator power enables meal preparation for first responders during power outages.
On the second floor, the six dormitories were redesigned so personnel have more privacy. There’s a laundry room now, and the old communal locker room and restrooms are gone.
The third floor has retained its footprint and continues to hold the office manager’s work area, conference room, assistant chief’s office and the chief’s office, which remains in its original location at the front of the building.
The station still has the original brass fire pole, which firefighters use to rapidly spring from their second-floor dormitories to access the emergency vehicles in the station’s bay.
“It’s still the quickest way for them to get from the dorms down to the trucks,” Sekula said.
The department replaced the station’s three bay doors – heavy, oversized designs that had to be rolled upward before the fire trucks could get out and respond to a call – with new versions that open horizontally.
“Now, we can actually come out of the station quicker than before,” Sekula said.
The North Fire Station was originally designed as a semi-residential building, with living quarters for the fire chief and his family on the third floor. Fire stations have evolved a great deal since then.
“Standards are now higher,” Sekula said. “Buildings are hardened to better withstand severe weather. We made sure we built it so it will last another 100 years.”
PHOTOS COURTESY HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY
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