PASADENA — Officials broke ground Saturday on a renovation project expected to re-open the Pasadena Fire Department’s Station 39 by the end of the year.
Built in 1952, the station is among the department’s oldest, and was closed in April of 2011 due to concerns over seismic safety, authorities said.
The $1.78 million construction project, being carried out by Pasadena-based contractor MallCraft and managed by the Pasadena Department of Public Works, is designed to bring the building up to modern standards, while maintaining the structure’s historical significance and brick exterior, Pasadena Fire Department officials said in a written statement.
City officials including Fire Chief Calvin Wells and Mayor Bill Bogaard took part in the ceremony at the station, 50 Avenue 64.
Funding for the project comes from the city’s Capital Improvement Project Fund.
Though the official ground breaking took place Saturday, work has already been ongoing.

PHOTOS courtesy of the Pasadena Fire Department.