St. Pete Beach to break ground on $10.5M fire station

Nearly two years after back-to-back hurricanes severely damaged a fire station serving St. Pete Beach’s southernmost neighborhoods, the city is preparing to break ground on a $10.5 million replacement designed to better withstand future storms.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fire Station 22 is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at 1950 Pass-A-Grille Way, according to an announcement from Shumaker Advisors, which helped the city secure state funding for the project.

The city is rebuilding the aging facility that was damaged when hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the region in 2024. The city was already planning to replace the old fire house, built in 1974, before the hurricanes rolled into St. Pete Beach and caused major flooding to the structure, the release says. 

Since then, fire rescue crews have been working out of a temporary double-wide trailer less than a mile north of their old facility. 

Fire Station 22 was demolished in May. In July, the St. Pete Beach City Commission approved an approximately $10.5 million construction contract for its replacement, which is expected to take at least 14 months to complete.

The state has appropriated $6.5 million toward construction, covering more than half of the project’s estimated cost, the release says. St. Pete Beach is continuing to pursue state and federal money, grants and private funding to help pay the remaining expenses.

Shumaker Advisors representatives Alan Suskey and Jim Taylor worked with city officials to secure the state funding.

The new station is expected to serve Pass-A-Grille and nearby communities while providing a modern base for firefighters, paramedics and other emergency operations. 

“This project is about rebuilding stronger and making sure St. Pete Beach is better prepared for the storms and emergencies that may come in the future,” Taylor says in the release.