Engine 2 Groundbreaking Marks Start of Fire Station Construction
Written By Ellen Putnam
Last Friday, a groundbreaking ceremony officially kicked off construction on the Engine 2 fire station on Tremont Street.
This is just one part of the four-pronged Public Safety Buildings Project, which has been in the works for years and is funded by a $130 million debt exclusion that was approved by Melrose voters in November 2023. The project will ultimately involve renovating or rebuilding all four of Melrose’s public safety buildings - the police station and all three fire stations. Engine 2 and the construction of a new police station station are Phase 1 of the project. Later, the new Engine 2 building can be used as swing space during construction on the central fire station on Main Street and Engine 3 on East Foster Street. Engine 2 has been in use since it was built in 1929.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by current and past elected officials, including former mayor Paul Brodeur, who made years of talking about the project a reality when he asked the City Council to place the debt exclusion question on the ballot. Mayor Jen Grigoraitis and Fire Chief John White each thanked voters for choosing to invest in the project and provide the police and fire departments with updated facilities.
But while the ceremony itself was upbeat, a mistake made earlier last week by contractors at the Beebe School site, where the new police station will be constructed, cast an unfortunate shadow over the start of the project. While there have been no reports of problems at the Engine 2 site, project managers and city officials will undoubtedly be watching both sites closely to ensure that things run smoothly from now on.
