Brian Hubert
Daily Freeman, Kingston, N.Y.
(TNS)
KINGSTON, N.Y. — The city’s Common Council is set to vote in November to borrow $8.5 million for a new Central Fire Station across from the current 1908 Central Station, clearing the way for construction to begin early next year.
The full Common Council is set to vote on the $8,500,000 bond measure at its November meeting after the Common Council’s Finance and Audit Comittee unaminously signed off on sending the proposal to the full Council at it’s meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
The new fire station will be housed in an existing building at 18-30 E. O’Reilly St., with the current Central Fire Station converted to a station for the Kingston Fire Department’s ambulance service and house administrative offices. The city closed on the purchase of the 13,000-square-foot building for $612,000 from WMCHealth HealthAlliance in August. The building last housed records storage for HealthAlliance. It has also housed an ambulance company. Before that, it was owned by Central Hudson, which has an adjacent substation that will continue to be owned by the utility.
City Engineer John Schultheis said work on converting the building could begin in early 2026. He expects the project to take about a year.
“The current Central Fire Station has served well over 110 years, but the larger equipment needs exceed available space, and it has structural deficiencies,” Schultheis said. The current station will still need HVAC, electrical work, along with roof work and other rehab, he added.
Plans shared with lawmakers show a new five-stall truck bay facing East O’Reilly St. in a portion of the building that will be demolished and reconstructed to be taller to accommodate the fire trucks being pulled inside.
Kingston Fire Department Chief Chris Rea said having five bays allows for growth, with each of the new bays accommodating up to a 75-foot-long ladder truck. Rea expects two of the bays to be utilized all the time, with the other three used on occasion.
Sleeping quarters for on-duty firefighters will also face E. O’Reilly St. The Deputy Chief on duty will have separate sleeping quarters within the structure. The building will also house showers, bathrooms, locker rooms, a kitchen big enough to have a long table, along with a “ready room” for firefighters. The station will also have a dispatch area and flex space that can serve for training and gatherings, and also as a central city emergency response location.
The building will also have storage for other firefighting equipment, including a garage space that will house the department’s fireboat.
Schultheis said the city will dress up the Hasbrouck Avenue side of the building with new windows and