GLENDALE : Proposals Made for Former Fire Station

An abandoned building that once was Glendale’s main fire station could become a public market with vendors hawking fresh foodstuffs, or even a venue for live theater, under a city plan to renovate the aging structure.

The city has yet to decide what to do with the old fire station at Orange and Harvard streets, which has been vacant since the Fire Department opened a modern headquarters earlier this year. Officials say the site could either complement the Farmers’ Market held just a few blocks away every Thursday or become some sort of entertainment venue.

“One of the things we’re not able to do at the Farmers’ Market is to sell refrigerated goods,” said Derrill Quaschnick, the city’s assistant redevelopment director. He said the city’s Redevelopment Agency has set aside $50,000 in its 1994-95 budget to study future uses for the fire station.

“With a public market, we could have a permanent installation where there would be fresh produce, meats, vegetables that could be available every day of the week.”

Since the fire station closed, the city has received a number of suggestions on how to put it to use. Some city departments have asked to store equipment there, and the YMCA has inquired about holding a Halloween haunted house and Christmas tree sales on the property.

But ideally, Quaschnick said the city would prefer the building to become a permanent fixture. It is located in a four-block area that has been targeted as the possible site of a public-private “civic plaza” in a forthcoming plan for downtown redevelopment.

One possibility would be to convert the three-story building into a home for the Colony Theater, a repertory group based in Silver Lake that is seeking a permanent venue in Glendale. The city’s Redevelopment Agency is providing financial assistance to help the group relocate, as part of the city’s plan to establish an entertainment district downtown.

“It appears the building may be large enough to accommodate a theater, but there are several large columns and there would need to be alterations to make it work. It’s too early to tell if it’s feasible,” Quaschnick said.

City officials said they recently suggested the fire station as a possible venue to the theater group, and the group has not had time to consider it yet. Colony Theater representatives could not be reached for comment.