Downey eyes empty lot at Promenade for temporary fire station

DOWNEY — Downey officials have identified an empty parcel of land at the Promenade shopping center as the potential site of a temporary fire station while the city’s four fire stations undergo extensive renovations.

The temporary facility would house all of the Downey Fire Department’s operations, including engines and ladder trucks, for approximately 18 months. Downey’s four fire stations are slated to undergo improvements financed by Measure S tax dollars.

“The work is complex and requires complete shut-down of the stations during construction,” Assistant City Manager John Oskoui wrote in a report. “This requires housing the entire operation currently conducted out of the fire stations in a temporary facility while construction work is being completed.”

Oskoui said he and Fire Chief Mark Gillaspie scouted several potential sites before settling on a 1.7 acre parcel on Bellflower Boulevard and Washburn Road.

If the City Council approves the location, Downey would sublease the land and solicit bids for construction of the temporary fire station, which is expected to cost $375,000.