By Mark Melady
The Telegram & Gazette
WORCESTER, Mass — Firefighter union officials made a pitch last night to save the Providence Street Fire Station, which they said the city is considering closing, but the mayor and two councilors said no decision has been made on whether to shut down the station.
Firefighter Frank Raffa, president of Local 1009 of the International Firefighters Association, and Lt. Donald Courtney, vice president, told a meeting of the Shrewsbury Street Neighborhood Association that closing the station would increase response time to the outer regions of the city’s East Side.
“We’re very concerned with response time,” Lt. Courtney said. “Fires double every minute. Closing Providence Street would be dangerous for our people and dangerous to the people of the city. We can’t allow these things to happen.”
The new Franklin Street station, scheduled to open in a year, will be under Interstate 290. The city’s East Side is currently served by two stations, Brown Square and Providence Street.
Brown Square is scheduled to be closed, and Firefighter Raffa said a deputy chief told the two captains at the Providence Street station that their station would be closed and the companies would be relocated to the McKeon Road station.
Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes said fire station plans are still being formulated.
“No final decision has been made,” Mrs. Lukes said.
District 2 Councilor Philip P. Palmieri concurred, as did Councilor-at-Large Joseph M. Petty, a member of the council’s Public Safety Committee.
“I really, honestly don’t believe a decision has been made on Providence Street,” Mr. Palmieri said. “Hopefully, we’ll see a meeting of the minds and the union, the administration and the chief can come up with a sensible agreement.”
Mr. Petty said the city “will not make a decision that will put anyone in jeopardy. I can guarantee that.”
Mr. Raffa said the union wanted the public to be aware of the possible closing of the Providence Street station.
“The people need to know,” he said.
Lt. Courtney said if it turned out not to be true, “shame on us, we’re the ones that will be embarrassed. But we don’t think that’s the case.”
In other matters, Gary Vecchio, president of the Shrewsbury Street Neighborhood Association, revealed revised plans for a phase 2 renovation of Cristoforo Colombo Park on Shrewsbury Street, saying he hoped work could begin in the spring of 2010.
Under the plans, the old playground, demolished last year because of safety issues, would be replaced by a new 8,200-square-foot composite playground with solar-powered lights and metal play equipment. Metal, Mr. Vecchio said, because it is much more difficult to vandalize than wood or fiberglass.
The tennis court would be rehabilitated and the bocce court moved and expanded, Mr. Vecchio said. Nine new parking spots would be added to the existing nine. A small gazebo and picnic tables would be installed.
Mr. Vecchio estimated the cost at $500,000 to $600,000.
“We’re looking for a state-federal urban self-help grant,” he said.
Shrewsbury Street real estate remains in flux, Mr. Vecchio said.
“Bancroft Motors is no more,” he said referring to the latest car dealership to vacate what had been Edwards Buick, near Washington Square on Shrewsbury Street. “They will sell used cars there only until the lease runs out.”
He noted that the dealership and the property adjacent to it are both on the market.
While he did not object to another car dealership at the location, Mr. Vecchio said Shrewsbury Street residents and business owners hope to create more commercial diversity and daytime activity on the street.
“We’d like to see a florist, a convenience store and a pharmacy on the street,” he said. “What we definitely don’t need are more restaurants. They’re starting to cannibalize each other.”