Lexington’s first new firehouse since 2005 is built to be a ‘100-year building’

Lexington’s first new firehouse since 2005 was officially opened Thursday.

The $5 million Station 2 near Eastland Shopping Center has been in service for about three weeks, but city officials had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. The new station will serve the Winchester Road corridor from Hamburg to Midland.

“It is a great culmination of a project that was much needed,” retired Fire Chief Harold Hoskins said. “From the beginning, we wanted this building to be a 100-year building. Because I truly believe in 100 years, there will be men and women responding to calls for help from where I’m standing.”

The new building replaces old Station 2 at 451 East New Circle Road, which was built in 1953. Before the city and county merged in 1973, the 64-year-old building had been the headquarters for the Fayette County fire and police departments, and it had several holding cells.

Each fire station has its own character, Capt. Wade Miracle said. “So it’s sad leaving (the old station), but it’s neat that we’re going to be starting a new character’s story,” Miracle said.

Firefighter John Dyehouse said he likes the new station’s bay doors, which open faster “so we can get out of the station quicker.” The bay doors automatically close once the trucks pull out of the station.

The city plans to build a two-story fire station off Citation Boulevard and Magnolia Springs Drive.

At the start of Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mayor Jim Gray asked for a moment of silence in memory of Lexington firefighter Matt Logsdon, a 10-year veteran of the department who died a year ago. He was 42 when he died of cancer.

“Everyone who knew him knew that he was remarkable,” Gray said.

This story was originally published July 6, 2017 at 12:31 PM with the headline "Lexington’s first new firehouse since 2005 is built to be a ‘100-year building’."