A downtown Menlo Park fire station being rebuilt to nearly three times its previous size is taking shape. The previous fire Station 6, at 700 Oak Grove Ave., was torn down late last year after standing for 63 years. A new, larger station is being built to deal with coming growth in the downtown area. It is on pace to be completed next February, three months earlier than a previous estimate. The new station will accommodate additional personnel, fire vehicles and equipment.
The previous station was a one-story, 3,000-square-foot structure; the new, two-story station will take up 8,300 square feet and incorporates a residential lot on Hoover Street that was rezoned by the city and is being used as temporary quarters for firefighters. After the station is completed, the residence will be torn down for rear access, as well as providing space for the fire district’s original 1899 fire building, which is currently housed at fire Station 1 at 300 Middlefield Road.