A 100-year-old firehouse at 801 Clinton St. in Hoboken was reopened last week after being closed for more than a year due to renovations. The firehouse now has a new sprinkler system and alarms, a steel-reinforced floor, a kitchen, and a physical training room. The cost of the renovations was about $650,000, funded through a bond floated by the city.
At a ceremony held last Wednesday to unveil the improvements, Mayor David Roberts, a former firefighter himself, dedicated the project to firefighters, “the selfless people who put duty and service first.”
Many firefighters helped with the renovations both on- and off-duty, according to officials.
According to Fire Chief John Cassesa, the 14-month project had become a necessity.
“We used to repair the building, but never any renovations,” Cassesa said, adding, “It’s a great honor to be here in a place I have a long history in.”
Public Safety Director William Bergin said the project started with an extension that was added to the rear of the building. The project was expanded when they noticed bowing, or dipping, in the floor requiring a complete reconstruction.
According to Bergin, there are plans to improve the exterior of the building once funding has been secured. The building has rich history, as noted by John Pope, director of Human Services for the city.
“I grew up in the projects in Hoboken and I remember walking by and seeing the Dalmatian outside,” said Pope. Roberts reminisced about his former captain, who also served in the building, Bob Moore, whom Roberts says he was fortunate enough to learn from.
There were countless donations from contractors and residents, including a stove donated by owner of the nearby Atlantic Tropical Market, Maximo Rodriguez Sr. Rodriguez said it was actually his son, also named Maximo, who had the idea.
“When [the firefighters] brought the old stove over here, to leave it for a while, my son saw it, and he decided to donate one,” said Rodriguez Sr.
The building is home to Hoboken’s Rescue Company No. 1 and Engine Company No. 4. During the renovations, the Rescue Company was operating out the firehouse at 16th Street in Union City while the Engine Company was working out of the firehouse at 201 Jefferson Street in Hoboken.
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