Worcester will begin construction on a new South Division firehouse, replacing the current facility that has served firefighters since 1959

By Adam Bass
masslive.com

WORCESTER, Mass. — For more than six decades, Worcester’s South Division Fire Station has stood at 180 Southbridge St.

Now, 67 years after its construction in 1959, the firefighters working at the station will soon move to a new one located less than 10 minutes away.

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Construction on the new South Division Fire Station will begin on Monday with a groundbreaking event at 4:30 p.m.

The event will be held at 135 Southbridge St. and will feature city officials and Worcester Fire Department members, according to an email from the city.

The new fire station will be located at 25 Madison St., according to the city. The new location is a six-minute walk away from the old fire station.

The new building will be two stories, feature a brick facade and span 30,000 square feet, the city’s website reads.

The new building will feature six overhead doors, multiple storage rooms, decontamination laundry facilities, apparatus floor bathrooms, a custodial closet a radio watch and ready room a training tower a conference rooms an office support work room a dining room and kitchen, a study room an exercise room lockers and bathrooms, a mechanical room and a bunk room, according to the city’s description of the new building.

Construction is expected to take about 18 to 24 months, according to an email from the city.

Future plans for the old fire station have yet to be determined, according to City Spokesperson Thomas Matthews.

In his proposed budget for fiscal year 2027, City Manager Eric D. Batista is calling for $25 million to be allocated to the new fire station. The $25 million is part of the $46 million increase to the city’s capital budget. The increase also allows for $11 million in additional borrowing for the Department of Public Works, the largest amount of additional borrowing for the department in 10 years, according to a spokesperson for Batista.

The borrowing will go towards projects such as street construction and redesigns, sidewalk restoration, street light installations requested by city councilors and equipment purchases, including snow equipment, according to the budget.

Additionally, the increase to the capital budget will direct $5 million towards police department upgrades.

The city council has yet to approve the capital and operating budgets for Fiscal Year 2027, which begins on July 1, 2026.

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