The town of Longboat Key and Jon F. Swift Construction held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Fire Station 92 project on Wednesday morning.
Town Manager Tom Harmer said he anticipates the town’s new south fire station at 2162 Gulf of Mexico Drive will be functional in about a year.
“I get excited about groundbreakings, but I get even more excited about ribbon cuttings, and so this is a big deal,” Harmer said.
South-side firefighters have operated out of a temporary trailer since the demolition of the old south-side fire station in June. Longboat Key Fire Department personnel at Station 92 will operate out of the trailer until the new fire station is built.
“My twin boys work at that Fire Station 85 [in North Port], which is the same floor plan as this station,” Fire Chief Paul Dezzi said. “When I [ask] them, ‘Do you like it?’ They go, ‘It’s a resort.’ That’s what they call it.”