Engine 46 Talks Held, Demolition Now a Reality

Engine 46 - photo: Tug Haines

The meeting regarding the future of Engine 46 took place today at the office of City Councilman Mark Squilla. Those present included Councilman Squilla, Dr. James Moylan - President of the Pennsport Civic Association, and three representatives of  Cedar-Riverview LP, the owners of the Riverview Complex where Engine 46 has sat dormant since 2006.

While there is no official word at this time, demolition on the properties can occur at any time now that the meeting has taken place.

The meeting exposed the cold hard fact that Engine 46 has been a tough sell for quite some time. Cedar-Riverview has been "actively" trying to find a tenant since the steakhouse closed, even hiring a brokerage firm to find a business interested in taking over the firehouse built 119 years ago. "It isn't for a lack of trying." said Dr. Moylan "Even with all of this added attention recently, they haven't gotten one legitimate offer."

At this point Cedar-Riverview feel that the best option for the complex is to demolish the two properties (Engine 46 and the adjacent vacant building) and clear the land. The hope is that this would allow for a more usable footprint and could offer future business opportunities that benefit the entire complex. There is no interest from Cedar-Riverview to pursue historic designation for Engine 46 as it would limit the possibilities of the property.

One last shred of hope:

Cedar-Riverview has stated that legitimate business proposals for the reuse of Engine 46 will be considered until the demolition occurs. All inquiries should be sent directly to Dr. James Moylan - pennsport@aol.com.

Dr. Moylan added, "If nothing else, we have an open dialogue with the company. We want them to be a part of this neighborhood, not simply be in this neighborhood. We are going to continue to monitor the situation and be involved."

Below is a slideshow of some photographs taken today by local photographer Tug Haines: