NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell joined other city officials, neighbors and community representatives to break ground on the new $6.7 million headquarters facility for the New Orleans Fire Department along City Park Avenue.
The project represents an important move of the headquarters from the French Quarter to a more centrally located place for easier access for staff, firemen and the general public – next to the Delgado Community College campus and less than a mile from I-610 and Canal Street/Canal Boulevard and the Orleans Parish Communication District headquarters.
“We see the value of our New Orleans Fire Department every day, whether it’s in responding to recent fires in our community or assisting in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Cantrell.
“A more centrally and strategically located headquarters benefits NOFD and our residents on many levels and brings a dormant property back into service. It’s also another example of how we are spending our FEMA funding, our bonds, our Hazard Mitigation Grant Program dollars, and our Community Development Block Grants.”
NOFD interim superintendent Roman Nelson concurred.
“This new NOFD Headquarters at MTA City Park will allow the New Orleans Fire Department to consolidate most of our leadership and support services in one centralized location,” said Nelson. “It will provide the modern technology, square footage, off-street parking, ease of access and security that the Fire Department needs, and the public deserves.”
The funding breakdown of the $6.7 million features $4.2 million from FEMA, $1.8 million from bonds, $552,000 from HMGP, and $157,000 from CDBG.
The work begins as Mayor Cantrell also announced the lifting of furlough requirements from New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans Emergency Medical Services, the Health Department, and the Fire Department in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project includes renovations to the old MTA Delgado building to house NOFD administrative headquarters, training center and 24-hour NOFD Emergency Response Command Center. It’s also the first of two phases, with the first phase including:
- Interior and exterior demolition
- Repair and replacement of site utility lines
- Selected removal and replacement of existing paving and sidewalks
- Improvements to drainage systems
- Exterior lighting replacement
- Placement of new structural foundations
- And selected removal and maintenance of existing landscaping
Phase II will include renovations to the exterior building and interior renovations. Phase I started in December and should wrap up in May 2021, while Phase II will be a nine-month construction project starting in May with scheduled completion by late January 2022. The project team features architect NANO, LLC, contractor Centric Gulf Coast, Inc. (Phase 1), and CPA Project Manager Jennifer Lilos.
The Fire Administration, Safety/Community Relations, Fire Prevention, Logistics, Compliance (IT) and Operations Deputy Chiefs will be relocated to this new consolidated Fire Headquarters facility, along with other NOFD Divisions currently working from remote locations at four different facilities, including Special Operations (MTA East), Medical (2920 Magazine St.) Supply Shop (821 Magazine St.) and the Supply Annex (4330 St. Claude Ave.).
The Supply Shop and Annex will be relocated to the former Fire Communications facility at 701 Rosedale Dr. (one block away).
