Story and photo by Doug Petrowski

For a few weeks it’s been a demolition zone, but soon it will become an inviting space for fun and enjoyment.

With debris cleared and the parking lot resurfaced, the next step for Firefighters Memorial Park at 228th Street Southwest and 39th Avenue West is to plant new grass in the area where Fire Station 18 use to sit. The newly-graded ground is scheduled to be hydro-seeded Monday. Temporary fencing will keep visitors off the seeded area for approximately eight weeks.

Demolition of Fire Station 18, which sat in front of the park, began last month; materials from the building were separated, with steel, wood, brick and concrete sent to various recyclers. The remaining materials were trucked to the transfer station.

Ever since Snohomish County Fire District 1 moved operations of Fire Station 18 in December 2010 to its new facility at 21206 Poplar Way in Brier, the city has discussed how to revamp the site. The city’s Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee is compiling testimony from community meetings, and seeking input from the Fire District 1 Foundation and the local branch of the International Association of Fire Fighters concerning plans for the expansion of the park.

Tentative plans call for relocating the play equipment in the back of the park up closer to 228th Street. Possible additions to the park include additional fencing, a lit flagpole, new walkways and a fallen firefighters’ memorial.

Fire District 1 has in its possession an 8-foot World Trade Center steel beam salvaged from Ground Zero; the City of Mountlake Terrace has formally requested a part of the beam to possibly be used in a memorial at the park. A final decision as to the fate of that beam is expected within the next few weeks.

Cost to the city for demolition and removal of the 48-year-old building, re-grading of the property, and expansion and resurfacing of the parking lot was approximately $65,000.