Seattle will spend about $8 million to buy and prepare a site in Northgate for the construction of a new fire station. The City Council voted Monday to allocate the money and authorize the purchase.
The new Fire Station 31 will replace an existing station at 1319 N. Northgate Way that shut down in June due to concerns about conditions there, including mold. Firefighters had nicknamed the old station “Cancer House,” because many who worked there were diagnosed with cancer. The new site is at 11302 Meridian Ave. N., about two blocks away, and is mostly vacant.
The existing Station 31, built in 1973, was subjected to environmental testing multiple times over the years, with inconclusive results. Mayor Jenny Durkan announced in October the city would construct a new station at another location rather than undertake a renovation, citing mold and other problems.