Mayor Marty Small, Sr. announced the City of Atlantic City has been awarded an additional $750,000 African American Civil Rights Grant to preserve the interior of the 103-year-old Fire Station 2 at the corner of Indiana and Baltic Avenues. This grant is in addition to the $750,000 New Jersey Historic Trust Grant awarded to Atlantic City earlier this year for interior preservation. These grants will fund the restoration of the remaining interior historic finishes like expanding the kitchen facilities and improving the dormitory areas while upgrading the building’s HVAC, electrical services and plumbing. The City of Atlantic City previously secured a $750,000 African American Civil Rights Grant and a $750,000 New Jersey Historic Trust Grant for preservation of the station’s exterior. The building required exterior work because of water infiltration that has cracked and spalled the extensive poured-in-place concrete used for foundation walls, floor slabs and to encase steel columns and beams. All three roofs are being replaced, and the exterior masonry was repointed, and wall flashing replaced, both to repair earlier non-historic repairs and to protect from further water infiltration.
“We’ve taken major steps to preserve historic buildings under the Small Administration and Fire Station 2 is another example,” said Mayor Small. “These improvements will turn this station into a state-of-the-art facility which will allow us to better protect both our taxpayers and our firefighters. These agencies keep awarding Atlantic City money because they know we are more than capable of getting the jobs done.”
Fire Station 2, with its six-story hose tower, stands tall within the historically African American Atlantic City Northside neighborhood. The Fire Station, among the first to be integrated in Atlantic City, requires updating to 21st century standards to continue to fulfill its original, primary function of fire safety to the citizens of Atlantic City. The exterior work is expected to be completed before the end of 2025. Interior work is expected to begin in Spring 2026. The African American Civil Rights Grant is provided by the Historic Preservation Fund, as administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Rutala Associates, the City’s Grant Consultant, secured both grants for exterior and interior work. All this work goes through the Atlantic City Historic Preservation Committee for their support to qualify for these funds. The City of Atlantic City has also secured funding for assessments for four additional Atlantic City firehouses to be nominated for the national register.
