City Breaks Ground on New $40 Million Firehouse in Rockaway Park, Queens

FDNY: Amanda Farinacci, amanda.farinacci@fdny.nyc.gov, 917-399-4405
DDC: Ian Michaels, michaelia@ddc.nyc.gov, 646-939-6514

(Rockaway Park, NY – October 28, 2025) Deputy Mayor Jeff Roth, New York City Fire (FDNY) Commissioner Robert S. Tucker and NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle were joined today by local elected officials and community members to break ground on a new $40 million firehouse for Engine Company 268/Ladder Company 137 in Rockaway Park, Queens.

The new firehouse will be built at 116-11 Beach Channel Drive and will replace the existing firehouse located around the corner at 257 Beach 116^th Street, which dates back to 1913 and sustained damage during Superstorm Sandy. The site is across the street from 9/11 Tribute Park and is currently occupied by a former bank building that was acquired by the City and is now being used by the FDNY for training. DDC is managing the project for the FDNY and construction is expected to be completed by summer 2027.

"Good things come to those who wait, and on National First Responders Day - we are thrilled to break ground on this new firehouse. It has been years in the making, but we know this new building will be a boon to the Rockaway community, to our members, and to the entire city. Built to be resilient to the threat of future storms as well as practical for our members, this state-of-the-art facility will provide safety and community to the Rockaway peninsula. I cannot wait to see it come to life," said Fire Commissioner Robert S. Tucker.

“The new firehouse has a striking design, includes outdoor space and public art for the community, and will be a resilient and sustainable beacon of safety in the Rockaway Park community for decades to come,” said DDC Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle. “The building is weather and flood resistant, can operate through a blackout, and with solar heating, a green roof, skylights for natural lighting and on-site stormwater retention will meet LEED Gold standards for environmental sustainability. It’s an honor to join the Fire Department on National First Responders Day to break ground on this critical project.”

The new 16,760-square-foot structure will be near Jamaica Bay and is designed for resiliency, with flood protection measures for FDNY staff and equipment in the event of severe weather events and storms. There will also be a raised backup generator in case of power outages.

The building is designed to accommodate the FDNY’s need for storage and maintenance of equipment as well as easy access in and out of the building by vehicles and personnel. The lower level will include three large indoor parking bays. Two will have garage doors front and back, allowing trucks to enter through the rear of the building on Newport Avenue and exit through the other side on Beach Channel Drive without turning around or backing up.

The lower level will also include an indoor tactical training area for firefighters with outdoor parking for training vehicles. Near the Beach 117th Street side of the site there will be space for boat storage as well as 12 outdoor parking spaces. At Beach 116th Street the site will feature landscaped areas open to the public with new plantings, plus part of a “Percent for Art” installation by local artist Andrea Belag. Several new trees will also be planted inside the property line.

The upper floors of the building will have separate male and female locker rooms and restrooms, a nursing room, quiet areas, a pantry and kitchen, laundry and study rooms, and a roof deck area for staff. There will also be office space as well as a Training Room, while skylights will allow natural light to reach deep into the building. A connecting stair tower that is pulled outward from the building as a symbolic beacon will feature a continuous vertical glass window that fills the stairwell with natural light and glows at night, signaling the FDNY’s presence to the community.  

The design incorporates several sustainability features, and the building is anticipated to meet LEED Gold standards for sustainability when it’s completed. These include a high-performing thermal envelope; solar hot water panels that provide heated water for the building; a vegetative green roof that reduces building heat loads; operable skylights that provide passive ventilation; and a large stormwater retention system that will reduce stormwater loads in local sewers.

Percent for Art

The project will feature an installation by artist Andrea Belag, who lives and works part-time in Far Rockaway, as part of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs’ ‘Percent for Art’ program. For this project, the artist will create three separate painted panels, approximately 4-feet high and up to 16 feet long, rendered on glass treated with an anti-graffiti coating. The panels will be placed in a public area that will be newly landscaped along Beach 117th Street.

The design of the project was completed by the firm BKSK Architects under DDC’s Design and Construction Excellence Program, which pre-qualifies design firms for public buildings projects, reducing the time required to procure design services while ensuring the highest levels of quality and professionalism in construction projects managed by the agency. BKSK previously designed the Queens Botanical Garden Education Building as well as the future Douglaston-Little Neck Library under the program. The general contractor for the project is Ashnu International, Inc. of Woodside, NY.

 

About the FDNY
The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the largest Fire Department in the United States and is universally recognized as the world's busiest and most highly skilled emergency response agency. Annually, FDNY responds to millions of emergency calls.

The Department's primary mission is to provide fire protection, emergency medical care, fire prevention, and other critical public safety services to both residents and visitors in New York City's five boroughs. It also responds outside of the City's borders to assist neighboring municipalities, and nationally/internationally on special assignments.

Since its inception in 1865, the FDNY has helped lead efforts to make New York the safest large city in the country. This accomplishment requires a steadfast and daily commitment to maintaining the Department's core values. FDNY members are sworn to serve and protect life and property. They aim to prevent emergencies by continually educating the public in fire and life safety, and disaster preparedness, as well as enforcing public safety codes.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor Adams’ long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $34 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.