Somerville Opens First New Fire Station at Assembly Square

Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Fire Chief Charles Breen have announced the opening of the new Assembly Square Fire Station. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. This event will include speeches, a hose uncoupling ceremony, an open house, touch-a-truck activities, and light refreshments.

The new approximately 10,000-square-foot fire station in Assembly Square, serving the Assembly Square and Ten Hills neighborhoods, is the first built in more than 50 years and now houses Engine 2.

Designed with firefighter safety in mind, the station features a decontamination room, a specialized HVAC system, fitness and bunk rooms, and advanced safety and environmental systems, including a fossil-fuel-free building operation and state-of-the-art alerting system.

The fire station's planning dovetails with the community's planning for growth in Assembly Square during the 2010s. However, the costs and challenges of traditional construction necessitated an innovative solution.

According to a Somerville Times report, rather than buying land and building a structure from the ground up, Somerville's former Curtatone administration issued a request for proposals to locate the station in public or private space. BioMed Realty responded with a plan to incorporate a fire station into its 1.4-million-square-foot Assembly Square development. The company proposed keeping the station on the ground floor of a planned parking garage.

Through a development covenant negotiated between the city and BioMed Realty, the city secured below-market lease rates. In 2021, with Somerville City Council approval, the city committed to a 30-year lease for the fire station with BioMed Realty.

“The new fire station will greatly improve response times and provide critical public safety services to the Assembly Square neighborhood,” said Fire Chief Charles Breen in a statement shared with The Somerville Times. “In addition, this state-of-the-art station is proof of the city's commitment to improving the quality of life for our dedicated firefighters.”