St. Pete Beach officials push to demolish aging Station 22 and build hurricane‑resistant replacement

City Manager and fire officials told the St. Pete Beach City Commission on Feb. 11 that Fire Station 22, the city's south‑end firehouse, is beyond cost‑effective repair and should be demolished and replaced with a hurricane‑resistant facility.

Fire Chief (title in transcript: Fire Chief) summarized decades of structural problems at Station 22, at 1950 Pass‑a‑Grille Way, saying the building "has unfortunately reached the end of its useful life" and that repairs after the recent storms push estimated work above FEMA's 50 percent rule. "The staff recommendation is to proceed with demolition. The current station is beyond cost effective repair," the chief said. He said the existing structure fails to meet a range of modern codes and standards including NFPA, OSHA and ADA and that bringing it into compliance would be pricier than rebuilding.

The chief said a 2011 structural analysis recommended replacing the station with a facility able to withstand major hurricane forces; prior short‑term repairs had included removing a leaning host tower and cosmetic work. He said older elements include seven overhead doors that do…