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Worcester breaks ground on new South Division Fire Station, officials cite firefighter safety and sustainability
Summary
Worcester city leaders and project partners held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new South Division Fire Station, which officials said will replace a 1959 building, include individual dorm rooms and training spaces, and is expected to take roughly 18–20 months to build.
WORCESTER — Worcester city officials and project partners marked the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new South Division Fire Station, describing a design aimed at improving firefighter health, operational readiness and neighborhood emergency response.
"This project reflects our commitment to investing in our people who protect us every day and ensure that every neighborhood receives the highest level of emergency response," Mayor Joe Petty said, thanking firefighters, the city manager and the state delegation for supporting the project.
City Manager Eric DeBautista said the city has pursued a replacement for the aging South Division station since 2022 and expects construction will take "hopefully 18 to 20 months, hopefully more in the 18 than the 24 months," after which officials plan a ribbon-cutting.
Architect Brian Spangler of Perkins and Will described human-centered design features that informed the station’s layout, including separation of operational and living spaces, individual bunk rooms, and energy measures. "The station is 0 net energy ready with a 10,000 square foot photovoltaic panel array on the roof," Spangler said.
Rob Day, construction manager for WT Rich, emphasized the workload the new facility must support and cited the department’s call volume as context for the investment: "It's about 35,000. That's pretty close to a 100 calls a day," he said.
Fire Chief Martin Dyer framed the project as an investment in the department’s ability to train, recover and respond, saying modern stations must reduce occupational exposures and support firefighters’ physical and mental wellness. "Buildings do not save lives. People do," Dyer said, adding that the station’s value will be measured by the service delivered from it.
Project managers and designers said firefighter input shaped the plans: Colliers, the owner's project manager, reported surveying more than 300 firefighters to guide design choices. City officials and contractors named Colliers, Perkins and Will, WT Rich and Weston & Sampson among the key partners on the project.
Officials also noted elements intended to reduce disruptions and improve on-shift rest, including quieter dispatch tones for calls outside the station’s coverage area and individual restrooms instead of group dorms. The new facility will replace a station that officials said originally opened in 1959 and will house multiple apparatus including engine and ladder companies.
The ceremonial event included acknowledgements of prevailing-wage work on the project and a brief schedule estimate from officials. No formal vote or contract award was recorded during the ceremony; city leaders said construction is under way with a target completion window of roughly 18–20 months.
