Central Fire Station
The Kingston Fire Department has three fire stations throughout the city allowing for an emergency response time to within 3 minutes: Uptown at Frog Alley, the Central Fire Station in Midtown, and a Downtown station in the Rondout. The Central Fire Station at 19 East O’Reilly Street is the subject of this project. It was originally built in 1908 for horse drawn fire apparatuses and is not currently serving the functional and technological needs of the KFD.
Since 2016, the City has sought solutions to address deficiencies at the Central Fire Station. These include a dilapidated ground-level elevated bay floor, with a basement directly below that was originally built for storage of horse feed. It is unable to support the load of increasingly heavy modern apparatuses. Deficient bay door sizing that was originally intended for horse-drawn fire engines. Lack of truck exhaust ventilation, antiquated building systems, and building deterioration present ongoing issues.
Due to the historic designation of the building along with the limitations of its footprint, it was determined that the existing structure could not be affordably rehabilitated, much less modernized. For some time there were no other suitable, centrally-located properties available. When the building at 18 East O’Reilly Street, directly across the street, went on the market, the City purchased it -- the best-case scenario.
Originally built in 1940 by Central Hudson, the property has two integrated garages and ample office and storage space. The building will be adaptively reused as an active fire station that expands—not replaces—the existing central fire station. Larger apparatuses will operate out of this new facility, while smaller fire vehicles and ambulances will continue to respond from the existing building. The new facility will also house the City of Kingston’s Emergency Operations Center and training rooms.
Renovations include:
- Regrading/surfacing of adjacent parking lot
- Site utility re-connections;
- Exterior façade repair/repointing and improvements
- Window and door replacement
- Roof replacement
- Establishment of interior walls, doors, restrooms, kitchen, sleeping quarters, storage and garage spaces
- Interior wall, floor and ceiling replacements
- Thermal envelope improvements
- Electrical power, lighting, and low voltage distribution systems
The new building design will provide more than the minimum 60-foot wide apparatus bay apron; 20 parking spaces; a ten-bed dormitory, 36-person training room, officer-in-charge room, radio room, kitchen and ready room for eight personnel, 1,000 square feet stock/storage space, and 2,500 square feet 2-bay secondary storage garage and will be ADA compliant and net-zero energy use.
A new storm sewer under East O’Reilly St will separate sewer from storm water for users on this block, including Central Station and Kingston DPW, and sets up future separation by users on dead-end Jansen Ave, including Kingston Water Dept and City Hall.
Property acquisition, building evaluation, and renovation design are completed, study and design being completed by engineering firm CT Male.
Construction is expected to begin in April 2026 and take about 14 months, with an estimated cost of $8,000,000.