ROCKAWAY PARK — Fire department officials are eyeing a new location for a more than 100-year-old firehouse, which is too costly to repair, according to a spokesman.
Officials said Engine 268/Ladder 137 on Beach 116th Street needs so many fixes it makes more financial sense to simply build something new.
While the FDNY did not specify which repairs are needed, officials confirmed they are in the early stages of looking at a new home for the firehouse
"We're trying to find the most cost effective manner in continuing to operate there and the work that would be required to pour into the existing firehouse just doesn't make sense," FDNY spokesman Jim Long said.
The firehouse, built in 1913, has withstood coastal storms, floods and hurricanes — most recently Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Long said necessary repairs have been made but more work needs to be done, which is expensive.
The move was first reported by the Rockaway Times, which said the FDNY is looking at a former bank steps away from the current firehouse on Beach Channel Drive. The space has been empty since the hurricane.
The FDNY could not confirm which locations they have looked at, and said they are still in the earliest stages of the project.
The area's peninsula location does provide a unique challenge to the FDNY; they have to find a location within the coverage area while only looking east and west on the coastal peninsula.
"There's not north and south relocation option," Long said.
When the new firehouse is built, it will also be the first built under new FEMA flood standards, which requires new construction to be elevated depending on where it is on the map.
There is currently no timeline for the project.
