hIstoric 1909 Firehouse Set for Restoration as Sayreville Looks to Preserve the Past and Meet Today’s Needs
SAYREVILLE, NJ – Plans to restore and repurpose Sayreville’s historic 1909 firehouse moved forward following an extended discussion at a recent Borough Council meeting, where officials outlined the building’s condition and proposed future use.
Mayor Kennedy O’Brien said the project follows voter approval to preserve the structure. “We had a referendum a year ago about saving the firehouse next door,” O’Brien said. “It served as a firehouse and a police station and borough hall.”
Building Official Kirk Mick said deteriorating conditions at the department’s current facilities prompted the need for action. “Our conference room had three inches of rain of water,” Mick said. “They’re 40 years old.”
Architect Pete Campano said the proposal offers an opportunity to give the building new life while honoring its history. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re taking an old building, an historic building and repurposing it and giving it a new birth,” Campano said.
Mick explained that while the exterior will be preserved, inspections revealed extensive interior damage. “The interior was unsalvageable, the basement mold… they were thin aluminum kids’ ceilings that were really destroyed and you couldn’t save it,” he said.
Project Architect Shannon Perez said design elements are intended to reflect the building’s original purpose. “We are showing a vestibule… a fire pole to bring back some of the history of the building,” Perez said.
Councilwoman Mary Novak raised concerns about how modern requirements could affect the building’s historic appearance. “I thought it changed the historical look of the front of the building, putting the elevator on the side,” Novak said.
Perez responded that the additions are designed to ensure long-term use. “We could do an addition that makes this for the next a hundred years, a building that the people of Sayreville are very, very proud of,” she said.
During public comment, resident Jim Robinson questioned whether the space could serve broader community uses. “Could it be a center for lectures, for museums, for gathering, for concerts in the evening for things like that?” Robinson asked.
Mick also noted plans to preserve unusual historic features found inside the building. “We’re gonna save these existing jail cells… and try to refurbish them as best we can,” he said.
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