NORTH PORT, Fla. — After nearly a decade of delay, North Port is preparing to break ground on a new fire administration building, as city commissioners struggle to find money to finance other large projects.
WATCH: North Port firefighters prepare to leave Station 81 as city rebuilds aging headquarters:
North Port will replace Fire Station 81 with a brand-new building, expected to be complete in December of 2026.
“We recognized that we were growing as a department, our administration was growing with it," Deputy Fire Chief Nick Herlihy told FOX 4. "And we just ran out of space.”
The station sits just south of City Hall, off Sumter Boulevard. It serves a dual purpose: department headquarters and a fire station that responds to calls in central North Port.
The department first proposed renovating the building in 2017. As North Port grows, so does the department.
It needs space to keep up with an expanded training division, fire prevention bureau, and administration, Herlihy said.
The department combined offices. Cubicles sucked up open floor space. The department even turned a copy room into an office. There simply isn't any more space, Herlihy said.
"We quite literally have no more space for people in this fire station," Herlihy said.
The station also has communal bunks, which can pose a privacy issue for male and female firefighters, Herlihy said. In 2020, North Port commissioners approved a renovation of the building.
The design process inched slowly through the pandemic. It was finally completed in September 2022, just in time for Hurricane Ian.
"That drastically changed the trajectory of the fire station," Herlihy said.
Like much of Southwest Florida, Ian badly damaged the building.
Part of the roof is torn off. When it rains, water leaks through the ceiling, according to District Chief Dave Ingalls. The fire station is not in compliance with current building code, Herlihy said.
That's when plans started to change. A federal regulation informally known as the 'FEMA 50% rule,' made the city reconsider how to move forward.
The National Flood Insurance Program prohibits improvements to a flood-zone structure exceeding 50% of its market value, unless the entire structure is brought into full compliance with current flood regulations.
Ultimately, it was around $2 million cheaper to tear down the building than refurbish it, Herlihy said. In 2024, North Port commissioners updated the city's contract with Wharton Smith, Inc. to rebuild the station.
Here's how the $17.5 million project is funded:
- 70% of the money is from county sales surtax, Herlihy said.
- 25% is from fire district fees.
- The remaining 5% is from impact fees and the city's general fund.
The new building will be strong enough to withstand a category five hurricane, Herlihy said.
In the next 10 days, firefighters will relocate to a temporary facility across from the George Mullen Activity Center. The campus includes a trailer and garage. Meanwhile, fire administration will relocate to City Hall.
Station 81 is expected to be torn down in December, Herlihy said. The department hopes to move into the new building in December of 2026.
The project comes as North Port struggles to fund other critical infrastructure projects.
It is the only city in Florida that can't borrow money without voter approval. City leaders said that makes it difficult to finance large infrastructure projects that can cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
The fire department isn't the only agency out of space. A 2018 consultants study finds North Port Police headquarters is at 185% capacity, according to Deputy Chief Chris Morales. The problem has only gotten worse.
WATCH: 'Totally out of room:' North Port weighs new direction on police headquarters
A new headquarters is expected to cost $115 million, according to City Manager Jerome Fletcher. Last week, commissioners discussed how to finance the project.
Some commissioners suggested combining headquarters with a new emergency operations center.
"We've got to get really creative folks on how we get it done," Langdon said. "Or no one's getting nothing. I mean that's where we're at."
