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December 08, 2016

Ghostbusters Enthusiast Proposes at FDNY Ladder 8 Fire Station

Contact:
Shavone Williams
718-391-1583

Dan Leibel
718-391-1251

New York, NY – Ladder 8 has served the New York City Fire Department for over a century and was made famous in the 1984 movie “Ghostbusters.” Today with some help from the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) it took on a new role as the setting for a successful marriage proposal between a British Ghostbuster enthusiast and his long-time girlfriend.

English tourist Giles Baugh, 34, a self-proclaimed lifelong “Ghostbusters geek,” took a knee while donning his hardhat and safety vest at the firehouse and offered matrimony to his girlfriend, Melissa Ward, 22. She enthusiastically accepted. Entry to the building was disguised as a media tour before Baugh popped the question in the presence of a Daily News reporter and photographer. The firehouse is currently being renovated by DDC in a $6.5 million project expected to be completed in mid-2017.

Melissa Ward shows off her engagement ring
Melissa Ward, left, shows off her engagement ring after Giles Baugh, center, proposed to her at the Ladder 8 Fire Station in Tribeca.

“This is an important day for Giles and Melissa and we’re proud to help them make it as memorable as possible,” said DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora. “A New York City landmark served as a worthy setting for their engagement.”

The firehouse in Tribeca is famous for its Hollywood and television cameos including features in the series “Seinfeld,” an appearance in the 2005 film “Hitch” and its identity as the home base of the “Ghostbusters” in the original film. It is not clear when they will get married, or if there will be a “Ghostbusters” themed wedding reception.

The three-story landmark firehouse was designed by Alexander H. Stevens, Superintendent of Buildings for the New York City Fire Department in 1903. Due to the widening of Varick Street, in 1914 the western portion of the building was reduced 35 feet to accommodate the street expansion. The firehouse belongs to a first generation of buildings that marked the FDNY’s shift toward more institutional and economic architecture.

The renovation will consist of upgrading the building’s apparatus floor, roof, kitchen, bathrooms, administrative offices, and mechanical systems, as well as a partial upgrade of the electrical and plumbing systems.



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 de Blasio’s lenses of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, new or upgraded roadways, sewers, water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15 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.