Sep 11
This from Josh Boyajian:
Today I was driving around on the south side, I stopped by Engine 16’s new house at #59 E. Pershing Road. I also stopped by fleet on 43rd to see the new buggys. Here are some pictures I took.
Thanks, Josh
Josh Boyajian photo
Josh Boyajian photo
Josh Boyajian photo
More than ten patches were added to the 1st District. The five shown here represent companies in the 1st and 2nd Battalions. A few of these houses have others that have been added as well. In addition to the 6-8-7 patch, Engine 13 has a patch in the same house. There are three variations of the patch for Engine 16, and another version of the patch for Squad 1. All images were submitted by Alexander Alexandrovski.
Engine Company 8, Truck Company 4, Ambulance 85, Battalion 2
In a previous post HERE, we outlined the variations in CFD fire house designs built under the Alive 21 program. The stations built were for Engines 18, 38, 63, 70, 84, 88, 102, 121, Air/Sea Rescue, and Engine 109 which has not yet been completed. Some of the differences that were highlighted included two similar designs that differed by the inclusion of a hose tower, the roof line, and the amount of glass along the top of the apparatus bays. A third design is being implemented for Engine 109’s new house and a new house for Engine 16. The building for Engine 16 though begins what the City of Chicago Public Building Commission (PBC) is calling the first of the ‘Prototype B’ engine company houses (which is confusing because the house for Engine 109 is the same design).
Square footage for each house varies depending exactly on the individual needs of the companies assigned. Ranging from 14,000 square feet for Engine 102’s house to 18,000 square feet for Engine 121’s house, the differences incorporate the office space, meeting space, and training spaces allocated to each facility. Engine 16’s new house will have 18,500 square feet of space which includes Haz-mat unit operations with associated storage and EMS Field Division South offices.
The site sign depicting the new house for Engine 109.
When the Alive 21 program began, the rear entry to the three apparatus bays included only two doors that are both wider than a single sized door. These designs are in effect for the stations of Engines 38, 63, 84, and 88.
The rear apparatus bay doors of Engine 63's house shows the original two-door design. Steve Redick photo
A design change then altered this to incorporate three single width bay doors at the rear of the apparatus bays matching the three doors on the front of the bays. Houses for Engines 18, 70, 102, and 121 were each built with three doors at the rear of the apparatus bays.
Engine 121's house shows the updated design which features three bays doors on both sides of the apparatus bays. Hank Sajovic photo
The Chicago Public Building Commission website has links to the Fire Station projects HERE for the completed houses and HERE for the two active projects. The links for the two current projects include galleries of site photos chronicling the progress of each job.
The house for Engine 88 at 3637 W. 59th Street has the hose tower. Karl Klotz photo
The design for Engine 102 at 7340 N. Clark Street is without a hose tower. Larry Shapiro photo
Engine 121's house is at 1700 W. 95th Street. The apron design here has different landscaping along the driveway with a large grassy area unlike other houses with more concrete immediately outside the apparatus bays. This house also has the large solar panels on the roof. Hank Sajovic photo
Hank Sajovic points out that at one point the ‘front’ of the building was reversed for Engine 84’s house since the apparatus exits their building to the west even though the watch room is on the east side. All of the stations were built to have the ‘front’ on the left hand side of the building when viewed straight-on from the street, facing the flag poles.
Apparatus in Engine 84's house runs out of the east side of the building, opposite of the side with the watch room. Hank Sajovic photo
Construction has begun for the new house at 53 E. Pershing Road that will be home to Engine 16, Ambulance 35, EMS Field Division South, and 5-1-1. The site has been cleared of the former warehouse and basement. Foundation work is underway with preparations for the footings.
The sign at the construction site for Engine 16's new firehouse that is underway. Hank Sajovic photo
This house has several notable differences in design than most of the other recent houses, although it appears to match the new house for Engine 109 at 2343 S. Kedzie Avenue.
The sign at the construction site for Engine 109's new house depicts the same rendering as for Engine 16. Hank Sajovic photo
An artist's rendering illustrating the new houses for Engine 16 and Engine 109.
The shape of these two new houses is squared off with lots of glass. The roof of the apparatus bays is flat where the others have an angled awning type roof. There is also different brick trim along the top of the brick walls and glass along the interior of the house instead of it being all brick. This house has a squared hose tower, and although several of the other stations lack one, the hose tower is rounded where they have been built. The new stations also have both horizontal and vertical windows as opposed to all The shape is squared off where others have an angled awning above the apparatus bays and different brick trim along the top of the brick walls. This house will have a hose tower though some of the others do not.windows previously.
Engine 18's house at 1360 S. Blue Island Avenue has much less glass in the design than the newer stations. This building also features the angled awning-like roof over the apparatus bays. Hank Sajovic photo
This house at 21 W. 59th Street is home to Engine 84, Truck 51, Ambulance 36, and Deputy District 5. This building has a rounded hose tower which differs from the square design for Engine 16 and Engine 109. Hank Sajovic photo
This house in the 9th Battalion is known as the 'Full House' since it is home to Engine 59, Engine 70, Truck 47, Ambulance 13 and Battalion 9. Located at 6030 N. Clark Street, it has no hose tower and a much smaller footprint on the 'front' end when compared to Engine 18's house. Hank Sajovic photo
The stations that have a hose tower also have a conventional door built into the overhead door in the apparatus bay closest to the street.
Engine 63's house at 1440 E. 67th Street has the rounded hose tower like Engine 84's house. This design also has more glass above the apparatus bays when compared to the stations without the hose towers. Hank Sajovic photo
The house at 3949 W. 16th Street which is home to Engine 38, Truck 48, and Deputy District 2 matches in style to the other buildings with the hose tower and the awning roof. Hank Sajovic photo
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
