1927 fire station 'safe place' for North Toledo residents

Block watch captain Sy Kreais speaks with Toledo City Council president Joe McNamara, who held a press conference outside Toledo Fire Station 3 in Toledo, Ohio to claim the station, built in 1927, can be saved. The city has already announced that, after a fault was found in the floor, the station would be replaced.

Closing North Toledo's Fire Station 3 would be a sign of the city "turning its back" on the neighborhood, said city Council President Joe McNamara.

Mr. McNamara hosted a news conference today, claiming the station, built in 1927 and closed on Sept. 13 when crews found the floor had buckled, could be fixed for less than $200,000.

Once the station, at 701 Bush St., closed, city administrators announced they were looking to build a new station, expected to cost an estimated $3.5 million, at the site of the Jamie Farr pool.

Larry Fast, a forensic structural engineer, said he did a walk through of the station after it closed and acknowledged that the site does need repairs, but believes fixes that could cost less than $100,000, would preserve the building as a fire station.

He described the structure of the station as, "very solid."

Sy Kreais, a Block Watch neighborhood captain in the area, said the station is an anchor in the area and a safe place for residents.

"We got kids in this neighborhood who come up to the firemen," Mr. Kreais said. "These firemen come out and talk to these people."

Fire crews from Station 3 have been working out of East Toledo's Station 13, 1899 Front St., since the closure.