The construction of the new elevator at the Highland Engine Company as seen from Angola Road.
A view from the front.
By Brendan G Coyne
You may have caught a glimpse of the cinder block climbing up the Angola Road side of Highland Engine Company #1 as you drove around Chadeayne traffic circle.
The structure will house an elevator to the second floor of the 40-year-old fire house. The elevator will enable disabled persons to attend the company’s meetings, annual dinner and social functions. When the firehouse was built in 1970, handicapped accessibility wasn’t required.
“We’ve been saving for years,” said Al Vanacore, chair of the Board of Fire Commissioners for the Canterbury Fire District. “It will be a great asset to the community.”
According to Chief Patrick J. Hines, the limitations of the building and construction costs put constraints on the process.
The $280,000 project will include a new lobby, an enclosure for a dumpster and additional storage space. The structure will be enclosed in brick to match the façade of the fire house.
Construction began a month ago and the elevator should be in operation in September.
