Thursday, October 1, 2026
After years of setbacks, the Indiana Firehouse has officially reopened in what officials said was the end of a two-year project riddled with delays.
“The Indiana firehouse is now open,” Long Beach Fire Chief Scott Kemins told residents at a meeting of the West End Neighbors Civic Association on Sept. 29. “The fire house came out gorgeous and the guys are moving back in as we speak. Your firehouse is back to you.”
The West End firehouse, located at Indiana and West Park Avenues, was closed in 2008 for renovation, with an initial cost of more than $2 million.
But problems with the contractor resulted in long delays, and the cost of the project climbed to roughly $5 million, officials said, which drew some criticism from residents and local officials.
“After over three years and triple the budget, [the reopening] is a welcome event,” said City Councilman Mike Fagen, who lives in the West End.
The firehouse now includes a new command center and communications system, among other upgrades.
An official at the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s office attributed part of the setbacks with the contractor to the New York State Wicks Law, which mandates that municipalities float bid contracts separately for construction, electrical, HVAC and plumbing on publicly funded projects over $50,000.
Although the laws were put in place to promote fair competition among bidders, the law has often been criticized for increasing public project costs. City Manager Charles Theofan was not immediately available for comment at press time. Kemins said he could not comment on the project delays.
“They did a major renovation at this firehouse and, unfortunately, they came under the Wicks Law and it involved nightmare contractors,” said Michael Uttaro, a Division Supervisor at Nassau County Fire Marshal’s office.
The two trucks that are housed at the building were kept at Empire Motor Group, which received $7,500 a month in rent from the city until the project was completed.
