The Los Cerritos neighborhood could soon get one step closer to having a permanent fire station for the area. The City Council is slated to vote next week on a construction contract to build a new Fire Station 9 after the original was shuttered in 2019 due to ongoing concerns about mold.
Council members on Tuesday will vote on a $19.4 million contract with AMG & Associates, a Santa Clarita-based firm, to build the new fire station, which will be at 4101 Long Beach Blvd., a few blocks north of where the original Fire Station 9 was built in the 1930s.
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That original building was vacated in 2019 after city inspectors determined stubborn leaks led to recurring mold issues. Fire personnel and their trucks had to leave Los Cerritos and relocate to a temporary station at Cherry Avenue and Wardlow Road.
When construction begins, the existing building at 4101 Long Beach Blvd. will be demolished to make way for the new two-story fire station that will include a larger bay than the previous station that can fit bigger fire apparatus.
In order to pay for the new fire station, Long Beach is expected to issue bonds next year as part of a $103 million financing plan the council approved. The bonds would be repaid by Measure A sales tax revenue, with the proceeds also paying for things like $25 million in improvements at the Long Beach Convention Center and $50 million in infrastructure projects.
The old Fire Station 9, at 3917 Long Beach Blvd., is currently being sold. In January, the City Council declared parts of the building historic but left room for potential bidders to have some freedom when renovating the interior.
A popular Westside Filipino bakery, Gemmae Bakeshop, is in negotiations to take over the old station and convert it into a production facility and restaurant.
