By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

 The construction start date for the new fire station planned for Ocean Pines’ south side has been pushed back from fall 2025 until winter 2026, officials said this week.

At the Ocean Pines Association’s board meeting on Saturday, Sept. 20, community general manager John Viola provided an update about the ongoing project to replace the deteriorating firehouse located at 911 Ocean Parkway. That initiative was expected to break ground in October of this year. However, that estimated start date has been pushed back a few months, and the new facility’s actual build-out will begin sometime in the winter of next year.

The replacement of the fire department’s South Side Station has been a long-standing desire of the community. The original structure, now unfit to adequately service the fire team, was built in 1981, said Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department President Joe Enste at a public hearing this summer.

In 1985, a 4,200-square-foot addition was added to accommodate the new EMS side of the department, and in 1987, a 500-square-foot addition was made for administrative offices. However, since those modifications, only minor improvements have been made to the building, such as paintings and replacing kitchen cabinets.

“Structurally, this building has stayed the same as it has been since 1987,” Enste said at the summer’s public meeting.

In addition to drainage issues, leaks, and mold concerns, the old structure’s engine bay doors are only 12 feet wide and not large enough to accommodate the modern, larger fire trucks.

Additionally, the new building will feature the creation of a proper decontamination station, which is currently lacking in the existing facility, and gender-separate bunk rooms that will be spacious enough to accommodate the department’s overnight needs.

Despite the fire station’s construction date being pushed back a few months, the project is still progressing. Viola stated at Saturday’s meeting that the initiative had been seen by Worcester County’s Technical Review Committee during the previous week.

On Oct. 2, the project will be presented to the county government’s planning commission. Viola said that construction permit plans will be submitted following that meeting, and that costs for plumbing and mechanicals will be confirmed by mid-October.

OPA officials will update the community on the South Station’s progress as necessary.

“This [project] is a big one for Ocean Pines,” Viola said.