NEWPORT BEACH : City Plans Another Fire (Station) Sale

The old Balboa Fire Station is up for sale, again.

The Newport Beach City Council last week was notified that a deal to sell the tiny 62-year-old station had fallen through after a potential buyer couldn’t come up with the $400,000 that had been offered in September.

The council voted unanimously last Monday to put the property at 323 Balboa Blvd. back on the market with an asking price of $400,000, City Manager Kevin J. Murphy said.

The property will be listed by Waterfront Homes, a local real estate agent, according to a memorandum written by Deputy City Manager Ken Delino.

The Newport Beach Fire Department is scheduled to vacate the single-engine facility in July, when construction on a new $660,000 fire station on Balboa Island is completed. The new location is a couple blocks away from the old station and will be able to hold one fire engine and house three firefighters.

The old station, which was built in 1931, was appraised three years ago at $285,000 to $320,000. It does not meet earthquake safety codes.