By Tiffany Williams –
WORCESTER — After more than six decades of service, Worcester’s South Division Fire Station is preparing to turn a page.
The Worcester Fire Department announced it will host a groundbreaking ceremony Monday afternoon for a new South Division Fire Station, marking the beginning of a major infrastructure project that city officials say will help shape the future of emergency response in Worcester for decades to come.
The new station will rise at 135 Southbridge St., at the corner of Southbridge and Madison streets, replacing the current South Division station that has served the city since 1959.
For firefighters who have worked out of the aging facility and for residents who rely on rapid emergency response throughout Worcester’s South Division, the ceremony represents more than the start of construction. It marks the beginning of a long-anticipated modernization effort for one of the department’s busiest operations.
City officials and Worcester Fire Department personnel are expected to gather at 4:30 p.m. Monday for the ceremonial groundbreaking, officially launching a project that is expected to take between 18 and 24 months to complete.
The new facility will feature a six-bay design, providing significantly expanded space and operational capabilities compared to the existing station. The upgraded facility is expected to support modern firefighting apparatus, improve working conditions for firefighters and enhance the department’s ability to respond to emergencies across the city.
The current South Division station has been a fixture in Worcester since it was built in 1959, serving generations of firefighters and residents through countless fires, medical emergencies, rescues and major incidents. But like many public safety buildings constructed during that era, the station faces the challenges that come with age and changing operational demands.
Monday’s groundbreaking signals the next chapter.
As construction equipment prepares to move onto the site and work begins on the replacement station, Worcester officials are positioning the project as a significant investment in public safety infrastructure and the future needs of a growing city.
The Worcester Fire Department, joined by city leaders and community members, will formally break ground Monday afternoon, beginning what is expected to be a nearly two-year construction effort that will ultimately replace a station that has stood watch over Worcester’s South Division for nearly 70 years.