Ten Reasons to Save Fire Station Five
1. Fire Station No. 5 is the last remaining historic building on Riverside Avenue in Brooklyn. In fact, the recent Riverside Avenue reconstruction project was designed to preserve the building.
2. Historic buildings can not be replaced. We have neither the money or the skills to recreate the historic houses and buildings that are already here.
3. Fire Station No. 5 has a character and scale that modern buildings often lack. Architects in the late 20th century abandoned the traditions of building and often created sterile, unpleasant boxes. Buildings, such as the fire station, predate the car and have details you can appreciate as you walk by. Historic buildings have a scale that is comfortable for people on foot rather than people in cars.
The Station may not be the Taj Mahal, but it is definitely a unique part of our ever disappearing historic architectural and cultural heritage.
4. It is a significant reminder of our architectural heritage and history.By preserving historical buildings we pass our history to our future generations. I think that our children should know their history, learn from it and respect it. People need to know their traditions and customs, which are priceless and irreplaceable. Our history is our knowledge and power. By destroying them for inferior uses, such as surface parking lots, we show our disrespect to our forefathers and their traditions.
5. Fidelity's suburban campus should expand in a vertical fashion, not horizontal. According to the property appraiser's website, Fidelity's downtown campus covers over five blocks, most of which is surface parking and still includes additional greenspace for future building sites. By comparison, the Fire Station building is 52' wide by 80' deep.
Considering the amount of parking spread out over Fidelity's campus, they have more than enough land for future office expansion if they choose to go vertical.
6. The best urban areas contain a mixture of old and new.
The combination of old and new creates a unique sense of place which is an important element of vibrant downtown districts.
7. The station's footprint is so small that it does not prohibit the expansion of Fidelity. Fire Station No. 5 is only 52' wide by 80' deep. There's no logical reason that the station and Fidelity can't co-exist, giving Jacksonville the best of both worlds.
Toronto is an example of a vibrant urban community that has found a way to preserve its older buildings and make room for corporate expansion projects.
8. Moving the structure is unfeasible, both structurally and economically.
9. The building provides us with the perfect opportunity to create a special destination along Riverside Avenue, other than office buildings.
Downtown Tampa's old fire station is in the process of being renovated into a firefighting museum that will add to the diversity of that city's cultural offerings in the core. Reluctant to let go of a piece of history, a group of devotees established a museum board in 1995 to save and restore the building. The museum's grand opening for the public is planned for January.
10. Finding a new use for the station would be more beneficial to the community than replacing it with a rarely used pocket park and parking lot next to the riverwalk. Incorporating a new use for this station can become something that provides a built in destination point for riverwalk and future Brooklyn Park users.
To voice your support in favor of keeping Fire Station Five standing, let city council members know how you feel by sending an email to:
For more information on saving the fire station visit: www.savestationfive.blogspot.com