Police and Central Fire Stations: At the heart of the Mahoney City Center project
For years, the City has examined how we can provide long-overdue upgrades to our public safety buildings. Building a new Police Station on the Mahoney site allows Central Fire Station to be rebuilt at its current location on Broadway – which is critical to meet target EMS and Fire response times in an emergency.
Why South Portland needs a new Central Fire Station and Police Station
But why do we need a new Central Fire Station, you might be wondering? Ask any South Portland firefighter. The facility, built in 1954, is literally crumbling. Our firefighters cannot get away from the toxic chemicals of their equipment, because there isn’t adequate separation from their living quarters. The station has no dedicated decontamination area to clean turnout gear. And the Emergency Operations Center, the dedicated space for city leaders to convene in an emergency? It’s frequently under water in wet weather. The facility was also built for an all-male firefighting crew, isn’t ADA compliant, and our own Central Fire Station doesn’t have a sprinkler system in case of fire.
The adjacent 1967 Police Station isn’t any better. It floods all the time, has mechanical systems that are hanging on by a thread, lacks adequate space for basic police functions…the list goes on. Watch the Police Station and Central Fire Station tours at our recent Building Crawl and this panel discussion with Police Chief Dan Ahern and Fire Chief Phil Selberg to learn more.
Why the Mahoney site was selected as the site for the new Police Station
In order to build a modern, climate ready Central Fire Station that meets our community’s needs at the current location on Broadway, the Police Department must move to a different location. During public meetings over the past few years, the City Council discussed various location options for the new PD and considered feedback from several consultants. All agreed: the Mahoney site is the City’s best option. So the City Council made the decision to locate the new police station on the field area adjacent to the Mahoney building.
Why there? First, there’s enough space on the site and it doesn’t require the purchase of new land, which is hard to come by in South Portland (and expensive). Second, a phased approach means we wouldn’t need to temporarily relocate the Police Department during an extensive renovation – which would be extremely complicated (and also expensive). With the anticipated phased construction approach, PD can move into its new building and then Fire/EMS can temporarily relocate from Broadway to other fire stations during construction of its new building. Finally, being part of the City Center campus will enable our Police Department to build even greater trust, transparency, and partnerships with and in the community – keys to continuing to reduce crime in South Portland. Many communities (like Scarborough, for example) have consolidated city services and public safety facilities on a common municipal campus.
What about the green space at Mahoney?
Outdoor community spaces will be an important feature of the proposed City Center. Green spaces, including potential areas for athletics and places to enjoy the outdoors, are all part of the vision for the campus. The Mahoney City Center Committee is working with the community to make recommendations for outdoor spaces residents would like to see there. While there will not be as much green space as there currently is, we have the potential to create new and interesting outdoor spaces that are enjoyed often, by many.
In summary
The proposed Mahoney City Center is not only envisioned to be a vibrant new hub for city services, culture, and community connection. The project is key to enabling the city to build the safe, healthy, functional, long-lasting Police and Central Fire Stations our community needs. The project will move forward if voters approve it at a bond referendum tentatively scheduled for November 2026.
To learn more about the City Center project, see upcoming meetings, provide input, and sign up for email updates, visit: www.southportland.gov/mahoney