Councilors hear proposal to sell former Fire Station 7; developer offer would convert building to apartments and food-beverage space

City staff asked the Common Council to consider a local-law authorization to sell the site of the former Fire Station 7 and discussed a developer proposal to adaptively reuse the building.

A department official described the property as an older two-bay station with a failing first-floor apparatus floor that cannot safely accommodate modern fire trucks and said rehabilitation costs would be high. The official said the city issued a competitive RFP and the recommended developer proposal would retain the existing building, convert the second floor to four residential apartments and use the first-floor former engine bays for a food-and-beverage concept. The proposal included a payment to the city of $900,000 and would return the property to the tax rolls.

Councilors raised concerns about East Side fire coverage and asked whether the site was intended to reopen as an active station. The official and the fire department noted the parcel's small size and building constraints and said it likely was not appropriate to house modern apparatus; the fire department is planning an East Side station elsewhere in the future. Councilors requested additional discussion and asked for a committee meeting to address questions about the sale, future East Side fire-station planning and neighborhood impacts. At the meeting the item was placed on hold pending further committee review.

The transcript shows discussion of the developer proposal, public-safety concerns, and a request by councilors for follow-up committee attention. No final sale approval or recorded vote is contained in the meeting transcript.