NEW ORLEANS – On June 22, the City of New Orleans hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of the final construction phase for the New Orleans Fire Department’s new headquarters designed by local architecture and interiors firm NANO LLC. The building is located at 401 City Park Avenue.
As a result of the renovation, the city’s former Municipal Training Academy building — a 20,000 square-foot postmodern brick and plaster structure — will become the new NOFD headquarters and a storm shelter. Set to function as both an administrative office and a 24-hour operations center, the facility is designed to “consolidate NOFD resources, improve communication and preparedness, and cultivate an enhanced sense of community among New Orleans firefighters,” said a NANO spokesperson.
“I am very excited and honored to be part of the New Orleans Fire Department Headquarters project team,” said Sam LeBlanc, NANO’s lead designer on the project, in a press release. “This renovation will give a new home to these dedicated first responders, the people we rely on in our times of greatest need.”
Hurricane damage and environmental issues forced the NOFD to close its Decatur Street headquarters in 2011. The department’s operations have been scattered throughout the city as a result. The NANO project aims to bring everyone back together in a space designed for 24-hour operation.
The building will include administration areas, conference rooms, medical and training facilities, a dormitory, a state-of-the-art gym, an expansive kitchen, a recreation room and a disaster recovery area. A 1,500-square-foot bridge will connect the main building to an adjacent auditorium. In addition to site remediation, waterproofing and impact-resistant glazing, there is space for a large generator, an access control system and resilient flood mitigation and stormwater management solutions.
The city expects to pay $8 million for this phase of the project. It said funding comes from FEMA, city bonds and community development block grants. New Orleans-based NFT Group is the construction contractor.