— Vacant Chenango Street Lots Next To Existing Firehouse Selected For Construction Of New Facility —

(BINGHAMTON, N.Y.) — Mayor Jared M. Kraham on Thursday announced the City has identified a location for a new North Side fire station. 

The vacant lots at 419-423 Chenango St., adjacent to the existing fire station, have been selected by the project design team for construction of the new facility.

Mayor Kraham said: “This location will ensure residents continue to experience the best possible emergency response times and offers the City a sizable blank slate to build the cutting-edge fire station our first-responders deserve. With the redevelopment of the Binghamton Plaza site and the ongoing affordable housing project at Town & Country nearby, this project will further revitalize a critical North Side corridor that is already seeing major investments. Thanks to Fire administration and union leadership, who worked closely with our design team professionals to identify the best location for the new station.”

The site selection follows a months-long review of emergency response times, call volume data and facility needs, led by the City’s project design team. 

Fire Chief Thomas P. Edwards, Binghamton Professional Fire Fighters IAFF Local 729 President David Holleran, Mayor Kraham and City Councilmember Nate Hotchkiss worked with the project design team from CPL, of Vestal, on the review and site selection. 

Mayor Kraham first announced the City would build a new North Side fire station during his 2025 Budget Address. 

The new facility will replace the 66-year old fire station at 39 W. State St., which is nearing the end of its useful life.

Mayor Kraham outlined a multi-year approach to construct the new station, with the City working to secure state and federal grants to ease the burden on local taxpayers. 

Following a public Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process last year, the City hired CPL to provide professional design services for the predevelopment portion of the project, including site selection, building and site programming, and conceptual design of the new facility. 

The work will also support the City of Binghamton in preparing competitive grant applications to fund final design and construction of the new station. The project has been made a priority for federal funding by Congressman Josh Riley.  

The City obtained the properties at 419-421 Chenango St. in 2018 and demolished an abandoned gas station and car wash on the parcels. A blighted residential property at the adjacent 423 Chenango St., acquired in 2016, was also demolished by the City as part of the project. The City acquired all three properties from Broome County following property tax foreclosures. 

Fire Chief Thomas P. Edwards said: “This is an exciting step forward in the City’s work to build a new fire station to serve the North Side. This new site will allow the Fire Department to continue providing the top-quality emergency services that residents have come to expect and deserve. This location and facility will allow the station to not only meet the needs of the North Side and support citywide emergency services as it currently does, but will also provide for anticipated future developments in this neighborhood. We look forward to moving North Side operations to a new facility that meets the highest public safety standards and provides our firefighters with a modern workplace to be proud of.” 

IAFF Local 729 President David Holleran said: “IAFF Local 729 is in support of the location selected for the new North Side fire station. After looking at and considering a multitude of locations and factors, including response times and past call data, we feel building next door to the existing fire station is the best option for protecting all residents of the City of Binghamton. We appreciate the support of the City administration and City Council in replacing this outdated building that is well past its useful lifespan. We look forward to seeing this project completed in the near future.”

U.S. Rep. Josh Riley said: “Binghamton’s firefighters show up for us every single day, and we have an obligation to show up for them. Identifying this site is an important step toward replacing an outdated station with a modern facility that protects response times and serves the North Side for decades to come. I’ve requested $2.5 million in federal funding for this project, and I’ll keep fighting to bring those dollars home, so our firefighters have the station they deserve without leaving local taxpayers to carry the entire cost. I’m proud to keep working with Mayor Kraham, Chief Edwards and Local 729 to get this done.”