By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor
Westborough – The town of Westborough announced Nov. 5 that the new fire station on Milk Street is complete and that the station is now fully operational. Demolition of the old station, located adjacent to the new facility, is scheduled to begin Monday, Nov. 24.
An official ribbon cutting and open house will be held sometime in the spring of 2015 after the old building is demolished and a parking lot in constructed in that space. In the meantime, the fire station will be open for business, officials said, but cannot yet accommodate any tours.
“The new fire station is a great project that will meet the needs of the town of Westborough for decades to come,” Town Manager Jim Malloy said. “The Architect, Owners Project Manager, and Municipal Building Committee worked with the Fire Department to design a very functional and efficient building. The final cost of the project will be approximately 9 percent under the original estimated cost.”
After years of debate and changed proposals, the town’s voters approved $11.2 million for the new fire station at the October 2012 Town Meeting. Construction of the 14,000 square-foot facility, which is nearly double the size of the former station, began in September 2013.
Chairman of the Board of Selectmen George Barrette stated, “It has been a long time coming, and we have been through lots of designs and scenarios. At the end, I think we have built a first-class facility that will serve the town for many decades to come.”
Town officials had advocated for many years for a new station to replace the existing one, which was built in 1886. That building had numerous problems; officials said, including cramped quarters, water damage and code violations. Additionally, the department could not purchase certain vehicles because they would not fit height-wise into the building.
Photos/Bonnie Adams