The City of Welland Fire Department’s new headquarters, sitting atop the former Atlas Steels land at 400 East Main Street, an eight-acre brownfield site, is a finalist in this year’s Brownie Awards.

Founded in 2001 by the Canadian Urban Institute, the Brownie Awards recognize the innovative efforts of professionals who rehabilitate sites that were once contaminated, under-utilized, and undeveloped by remaking them into productive residential and commercial projects that contribute to the growth of healthy communities across Canada.

A finalist in the refocus category, the fire station is recognized for its ability to use alternative lenses to see remediation and redevelopment from different perspectives other than economic and environmental ones.

“We were excited to hear that the fire department’s new headquarters is a finalist for this award,” said Fire Chief Adam Eckhart. “A fire station that allows the City to provide the necessary safety response and services was paired with the effort to design a building that not only remediated a brownfield site but also exceeds the National Energy Code.”

The project began in the concept stages in 2018, and remediation work continued into 2020. Construction and site work was completed in September 2022, achieving a 55 per cent improvement above the National Energy Code on performance with an estimated return on investment of approximately eight years.

The site is also responsible for the retention of stormwater. As a result, water used in firefighter training will recirculate to the pond and be used repeatedly. Additionally, the berm at the rear of the site provides significant environmental benefits, including being seeded with native species to support the local habitat, reducing soil diversion to landfills, and providing a sound barrier. The City worked with the Niagara Peninsula Conversation Authority (NCPA) and Niagara College to help naturalize the berm.

Winners of this year’s Brownie Awards will be announced on November 14.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Anthony Gallaccio