Keene Explores Replacement of Aging Fire Station

The Keene Fire Department is evaluating the possibility of constructing a new fire station to replace the nearly 70-year-old facility.

The Keene Fire Department is evaluating the possibility of constructing a new fire station to replace the nearly 70-year-old facility located on Hastings Avenue. A site for this proposed station on Maple Avenue has been identified on a 1.25-acre piece of land that was formerly part of Cheshire Medical Center, as part of the city’s Capital Improvement Program for the years 2027 to 2033.

The existing West Keene fire station, built in the 1950s, has become increasingly costly to maintain. Deputy City Manager Andrew Bohannon noted that the new station would not only reduce ongoing maintenance expenses but also provide a more strategic location for better emergency response times. The existing station is situated at 110 Hastings Avenue.

The proposed budget for the West Keene Fire Station is pegged at around $6.2 million, but this figure may change and would require the approval of the City Council as part of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Bohannon highlighted the necessity of securing grants to help finance the majority of the project expenses; currently, no funding has been finalized.

Under the CIP, the city outlines capital projects for the upcoming seven years, detailing projected costs and timelines. Once adopted, the initial year of the CIP is incorporated into the official operating budget for the city. The construction of the new station is tentatively planned for the fiscal year 2033.

To initiate the project, the city expects to allocate $750,000 in grant funding during fiscal year 2028 for the creation of the station's schematic design. This design will be essential for additional grant applications aimed at covering construction costs. If grant funding proves elusive, the city plans to explore other financial avenues to mitigate tax impacts.

Bohannon indicated that a complete design would be ready for implementation as soon as funding is secured, allowing the project to be shovel ready when resources arrive.

The current building, which started as a National Guard armory, was repurposed in the 1990s as a fire station. Since the National Guard vacated the premises in 2018, the city has maintained ownership. The facility suffers from antiquated mechanical systems, including the absence of essential floor drains for winter cleaning of fire trucks, and there are urgent needs for window replacements and other costly upgrades.

The envisioned fire station would occupy less space than the current 6-acre site, as city officials determined that a more compact facility could effectively deliver services while lowering costs. Bohannon also mentioned that the new location would enable quicker response times and alleviate potential disruptions to the residential neighborhood surrounding the existing station.

Despite the anticipated benefits of the new location, Bohannon asserted that the current station will continue to operate without interruption until the new facility is fully functional. 

A spokesperson for the Keene Fire Department had not provided comments as of Thursday afternoon.