A new beginning: Daytona Beach fire station construction could be complete by late 2025
DAYTONA BEACH — The design of the new Fire Station No. 1 is nearing completion, and construction could start this summer.
The city recently released near-final design renderings of the new fire station complex, which will be close to four times as large as the current Station No. 1 that's been located on the southeast corner of Beach Street and Orange Avenue since the 1920s.
The new 28,000-square-foot fire department headquarters, which will be built on Ridgewood Avenue a little south of City Hall, will have a very modern design with a roof contoured like a wave, red accents, floor-to-ceiling windows and exposed steel supports.
The design will be in stark contrast to the current 99-year-old Station No. 1, a quaint 8,000-square-foot station with a Mediterranean look and bell tower that sits on the western bank of the Halifax River.
The new home of Station No. 1, Volusia County’s busiest fire station with more than 4,500 calls forservice last year, will be located on a 3.6-acre site at 420 S. Ridgewood Ave.
Daytona Beach Fire Chief Dru Driscoll is hopeful site work and vertical construction will begin this summer, and that the new facility will open by late 2025.
The new headquarters will finally give the fire department the space, modern amenities and design it needs for its administrative staff and its Station No. 1 firefighters and equipment. The complex will also get the firehouse out of its current flood-prone location and onto much higher ground.
The two-story complex will combine historical elements, such as exterior coquina tile, with modern additions including fire engines that are solar-powered and wired for future electric vehicle use.
"The commencement of our new headquarters not only marks a milestone in our city's progress, but also stands as a testament to our cherished heritage," said Driscoll, who's also a deputy city manager. "This new facility blends tradition with innovation, embodying our commitment to sustainable growth."
The hope is that the new station will be useful for at least 75 years.
The century-old Station No. 1, a terracotta block structure that still has a firemen's pole inside, has very narrow bay doors. The building has had an increasingly difficult time accommodating 21st-century firefighting needs in a growing city.
And the station has repeatedly been deluged in the chronic flooding that plagues the downtown riverfront.
The new fortified concrete firehouse will include four double truck bays for fire apparatus and accommodations for up to 14 firefighters. The complex will also include office space to bring all fire department administrative personnel under one roof, and an 80-seat community room that could be used for public meetings and double as a secondary emergency operations center.
The Daytona Beach police station on the corner of Mason Avenue and Williamson Boulevard is the primary emergency operations center.
The new Station No. 1 will also include museum space to showcase the department's history. One permanent display will be Rosie, a 1952 fire engine that was in service through 1987.
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The new Station No. 1 site between Live Oak and Loomis avenues will provide ample room for a new building, retention pond and parking. The block of land will also leave space for future expansion of the fire station or another type of city facility.
"We want to build for 20-year growth," Driscoll said.
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach fire station being built on Ridgewood Avenue this year
