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June 19, 2008

Work Begins on Sunset Park Firehouse

Construction's started on a new firehouse for Engine 201 on 4th Avenue and 51st Street. The 17,000-square-foot building, as rendered above, was designed by RKT&B and will cost $6.8 million. The former firehouse on the property was demolished to make way for the build. According to city documents, the old facility (see pic on jump) was built in 1892 and had seen better days.
Update: We're behind on this one: Work's been going on for over a year at the site, and the new firehouse should be open in early '09, says Community Board 7.
PDF: Engine 201 [nyc.gov] GMAP

Photo from Property Shark.

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Cool.

That's a better design than most condos in South Park Slope and Gowanus. I'd live in it. Love the long narrow row of segmented windows.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:05 AM

They tear down one to build another. Yet, why don't they just re open the ones they CLOSED a few years back????

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:10 AM

Probably because it's less expensive and more efficient to run one larger firehouse than several small ones, 11:10.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:14 AM

I think it makes sense for such an important infrasructure to have the most most efficient facilities. The multiple garage doors make sense. Also I beleive our firefighters deserve it. I would expect there to be a large walk-in cooler for beer as well.

Posted by: Hal at June 19, 2008 11:17 AM

There are ton of empty lots around there. Wish they could let me live in the old one and build the new one on an empty lot, or under the gowanus.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:19 AM

Obama may be afraid to show Muslims in an photo-op but the artist who drew this rendition is not. Kudos to them. Peace.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:30 AM

Any recessed lighting in that thing?

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:37 AM

It is cool. And it'll be nice for the firefighters to have such a nice place to work out of.

That said, that old building is quite nice looking. Too bad it couldn't have been saved and moved and sold to someone.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 19, 2008 11:39 AM

Uh, Hal, I don't think firefighters are permitted to drink alcohol while on duty...

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:40 AM

What would "Bold Type Guest" have to say on this issue I wonder?

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:41 AM

go away dave. no one wants you here anymore.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:43 AM

Oh wow, you're right 11:30, that's nice to see.

This looks like a lovely rendering, probably will be a nice station, but I'm with 11:19 too, a refurbished "old" firhouse would make an incredible community place or even a residence! Too bad it had to be demolished.

Posted by: Nokilissa at June 19, 2008 11:43 AM

If only Sunset Park were that clean in real life.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:45 AM

nokilissa is a fake too. she's "biff champion"

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 11:46 AM

Thanks for the ride in the Wayback Machine Mr.Peabody!
I walk by this building every day and the new station is about 75% FINISHED.

I'll try and grab you a pic tomorrow.
:)

Posted by: Forrestian at June 19, 2008 11:59 AM

i like the choice of vehicles in the rendering. i need to find me a hunky firefighter who drives an old porsche. yeah!

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 12:01 PM

It looks positively squeaky. Shiny penny clean. A soaking spring rain clean. Bookending red & white Porsche's on the street clean. Renditions are such fun. I particularly like the "luxury condo" renditions with half naked hot people in white jeans or strappy sandals, glass of chardonnay in hand, leaning back sexily against a marble countertop, gazing into our, the dreamer/viewers eyes... beckoning us to come... be a neighbor. If only real life were that "clean".

11:46, I'm not going to waste anymore time with this. I have stated in a couple of different threads that I'm not Biff. I obviously can't do anything further to prove it, so this is it.

If you trust that I'm who I say I am, and you feel like reading what I have to say, or responding to what I have to say, than do so. If you don't trust me, and feel like boycotting me, whatever that means, than do. Henceforth, I ignore the "=" stuff.

Carry on.

Posted by: Nokilissa at June 19, 2008 12:09 PM

Shut up Nokilissa. You are useless.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 12:12 PM

that's what you get for conspiring with dave and biff, nokilissa.

you wanted to be a part of their little "group" and now you will pay the price by losing your credibility too.

maybe you should have been nicer and not such a nasty b*tch all the time.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 12:15 PM

Open post to the trolls: please continue to feel free to say what you will about me. I really couldn't care less and don't mind the notoriety. While I'm honored to be mistaken for Nokilissa, she is her own very thoughtful, entertaining and intelligent person.

Nokilissa, sorry you have to put up with this. As I said in the other thread, it's apparent to anyone who's familiar with the blog and has half a brain that we are quite different.

Another interesting thread ruined by guest trolls who will again blame us for it...

Posted by: Biff Champion at June 19, 2008 12:20 PM

go away biff. you've ruined more threads than anyone on this blog, but dave.

and you're not even 10% as witty as you think you are.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 12:22 PM

So now all the sudden the GUESTS are the trolls, even though we've already seen proof today that Dave is actually the one trolling??

Uh...ok.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 12:23 PM

Whew, at least a little paranoid and puzzling, but fortunately well-timed misogyny gets me my identity back, 12:15! ("conspiring"?)

And thanks, Biff. Always the gentleman.

I'm off to the playground with my kids who just woke up. Beautiful day. I'll be taking the stroller too! Evil b*tch that I am ;)

Posted by: Nokilissa at June 19, 2008 12:27 PM

Nokilissa, your first line was hilarious. You're the best. Have a wonderful day with your children.

Posted by: Biff Champion at June 19, 2008 12:33 PM

bull shit! What are you Rupaul now?

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 12:57 PM

Biff - we know you have a major crush on Nokilissa (perhaps rightfully so) - take it off line.

Cool that they're spending a ton of money to replace a firehouse which had "seen better days"(place you park a truck with a room above for sleeping and cooking). But is this really the best sue of our money?

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 1:03 PM

This, and all, fire stations have value beyond being a 'place you park a truck with a room above for sleeping.' They're public buildings with deep symbolism and there is no reason for it not to present an attractive and welcoming face to the community it serves.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 1:18 PM

12:22 yet you continue to read my posts!!!

Biff ...don't apologize to Nokilissa, it was I who put the two of you through this

Do you think we'll ever recover? Are we done?

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at June 19, 2008 1:32 PM

"...is this really the best sue of our money?"

Yes, actually I do think it's the best use of our money. Better, for example, than handing out tax dollars to developers to build stadiums to house the sports team they own.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 4:05 PM

the best use unless you'd like to live in a neighborhood without a firehouse, or if you think its ok to let them live in falling down firehouses filled with rats and floors that can't take the weight of the new fire engines and trucks.but the way, layouts in every firehouse vary- kitchens are not upstairs except in rare circumstances- I've only seen one.

Since the city owns the property and the response system is based on which firehouse responds first, second or third to an area fire, moving a firehouse can create problems not just for that firehouse, but for the surrounding ones. removing 205 in cobble Hill created a huge circular area that basically has no firehouse. A firehouse responding now has further to go, and through narrow, old streets, many of which run one way.

Another factor is that local firefighters know their areas extremely well, often to the point of knowing the layouts of houses, who has elderly people living on the third floor and who has a rottweiler. Remove the firehouse, and that knowledge and expertise is gone.

Posted by: bxgrl at June 19, 2008 5:20 PM

Good points Bxgirl.

The current firehouse is actually on 5th ave and the majority of the time the engines have to rush down 51st to get onto the faster route, 4th ave.

I think this 4th ave location will be much more useful - perhaps there's a plan in the works for reuse of the current 5th ave firehouse.

The size and quality of this new firehouse looks really impressive in person. The fire-engine-red glazed brick facade they got up is a nice touch.

(You'd think Brownstoner was a bridge with all the trolls squatting down here.)

Posted by: Forrestian at June 19, 2008 6:17 PM

Firefighters might know the general layout of homes in any given area but I doubt that they would know who has a rottweiler and how many elderly people live on the third floor. They don't do too much mixing in the neighborhoods where they serve.

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 7:26 PM

In some neighborhoods they don't, but in many others you'd be really surprised. Sadly, 204 which was closed, was one of the firehouses that really did know their neighbors. The neighborhood was devastated when it closed. In my old neighborhood, 118 was my first due- i was shocked they knew the interior of the building, what would be a problem in a fire, etc. One of them explained that they try to do this because in a fire they can be working virtually blind in side a building. If they know the layout, it makes a life or death difference.

A few years ago when those firefighters died in the Bronx, and one here in B'klyn, part of the problem was that the apartment in the Bronx had been illegally subdivided - they couldn't find the way out in time because they hadn't known about the changes.

I'd love to see the new firehouse someday- the redone 10 House by Ground Zero is amazing. the new firehouse is much wider, it looks in the rendering. Did they add a new company, with an extra rig? But the temporary firehouse was the old 278, right? That was another one we fought to keep open.

Posted by: bxgrl at June 19, 2008 8:59 PM

You can see an early photo of the original house at: http://www.nyfd.com/brooklyn_engines/engine_201.html

Another factoid :-) :
The City does try to save the older firehouses- even if to sell them. 204 was one of the oldest in the city and at one time was supposed to have been the barn, with the actual firehouse across the street and I think it dated from the 1860's. 212 in Williamsburg is historically significant as the People's Firehouse.

the original Brooklyn fire Dept. headquarters still stands in downtown Brooklyn- one of the earliest conversions I think- but you can stil see the letters on the archway.

Posted by: bxgrl at June 19, 2008 9:17 PM

wow, 4th avenue looks really nice in that rendering

Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 10:02 PM

Are they really moving the 5th Ave. firehouse to the 4th Ave. location? I live on 53rd and have spent years listening to the euphonious blatts from the trucks trying to get back to the 5th Ave. house around all the double parked cars on my block. The firemen at both the 5th and 4th Ave. locations have always been pleasant neighbors and they all like kids!

Posted by: guest at June 27, 2008 6:12 PM

« Remedial Repairs Forced Upon 476 Washington Avenue Inside Third & Bond: Week 42 »

June 19, 2008

Work Begins on Sunset Park Firehouse

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