Fire station to come down Monday

After more than a decade out of service, a 51-year-old Carson City fire station is set for demolition next week.

The station, formerly called Station No. 1 and located at the southeast corner of West Musser and Curry streets, is scheduled to be toppled on Monday. The station housed the Warren Engine Co. and later the Carson City Fire Department until a new station, located on South Stewart Street, was completed in 1994.

The station was built in 1954 to house the all-volunteer Warren Engine Company, which still serves as the backup to the Carson Fire Department. Currently the building is owned by the state and will become parking for the Attorney General's Office, which is housed in the old Ormsby County Courthouse adjacent to the station.

In June, firefighters gathered for a goodbye barbecue at the building, bidding a farewell to a staple of the city's landscape. However, the actual demolition was postponed to allow for the disposal of asbestos in the building and because of safety concerns.

"The contractor noticed a lot of children in the area and based on that concern we felt it was best to wait until after school started," said Gus Nunez, deputy manager for the State Public Works Board.

Project coordinator Ken Scarbrough said deconstruction of the building and construction of a gravel parking lot began Monday and is expected to take about three weeks to complete. The demolition and construction is being completed by Empire Construction Co. at a cost of $68,000.

After the building is demolished, the lot will be filled in with gravel until spring, when the sidewalks will be removed and the parking lot will be paved.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office said the space will likely remain parking for several years before it is needed to provide additional office space for the Attorney General's Office.

n Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.