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Lowell uses ARPA funding to refresh fire fleet, seeks $6 million for station repairs and a feasibility study for long‑term facilities
Summary
City officials said ARPA money paid for new fire apparatus and that the administration is pursuing a $6 million program for critical firehouse structural repairs; speakers also discussed a past $118 million (2016) study for a consolidated public‑safety facility and a proposed feasibility study.
Lowell officials told an April 7 budget listening session the city has invested ARPA funding to update its fire apparatus and is now moving to repair aging firehouse facilities.
Fire Chief Phil Sharon said the department operates from eight stations with 13 companies and about 41 members per shift, and presented a 2026 fire budget of roughly $28 million, with about $23 million in permanent salary and wage costs.
Officials said American Rescue Plan Act funding purchased new fire vehicles. The administration described the purchase as “10 pieces of fire apparatus,” but in the same exchange also listed “seven engines and four ladder trucks.” That listing totals 11 units; the inconsistency was not resolved during the session and remains in the public record.
City officials described a $6 million investment for firehouse improvements building on an earlier $3 million allocation. The city hired an owner’s project manager (OPM) and design firm to evaluate the five most deteriorated stations and scope critical projects such as structural flooring upgrades, roof and masonry repair and other envelope work to accommodate heavier modern apparatus. Chief Sharon noted some stations date to the 19th century, citing a Gorm Street station from 1875.
Longer-term options include feasibility work on consolidated or replacement public‑safety facilities. The session referenced a 2016 study by an architectural firm that estimated a top option at $118 million in 2016 dollars; the administration said a new feasibility study could cost on the order of $750,000 and that a modern combined facility could range widely in cost depending on scope.
What happens next: officials said the $6 million program will move through design and bidding, and that capital planning will include a feasibility study and continued evaluation of public‑safety infrastructure needs.
