North Fire Substation
Wilmington North Fire Substation
Project Introduction
Welcome to the Wilmington North Fire Substation Project website. This page provides information on the planning, feasibility, and schematic design process for the Town’s proposed new fire substation, as well as key milestones and next steps.
The Wilmington Fire Department currently operates from the Town’s Public Safety Building at 1 Adelaide Street. To improve emergency response coverage and better serve the northern portion of Wilmington, the Town is advancing a project to design and construct a new fire substation on Salem Street near the existing urgent care facility.
This location will significantly reduce fire and emergency medical response times to areas north of the MBTA Haverhill Commuter Rail line. Trains frequently block Route 62 (Middlesex Avenue), creating delays for emergency vehicles traveling from the existing station. In addition, continued residential and commercial development along Ballardvale Street and Andover Street has increased demand for service in this area. A response time analysis prepared by the Fire Department, in coordination with the Department of Public Works Engineering Division, confirms longer response times to the northern part of Town from the current Public Safety Building.
To address both current and future operational needs, the Town is planning a new three-bay fire substation designed to support modern emergency response, staffing, and training requirements. The facility will accommodate fire and emergency medical operations, include space for Fire and Police personnel, and provide the operational, administrative, and support functions needed to serve northern Wilmington effectively. The substation will also include dedicated training and equipment areas to ensure public safety personnel can operate safely and efficiently.
The project site is located on Salem Street, adjacent to the Harnden Tavern and the medical center. The Town acquired this approximately 13-acre parcel in 1990, at which time a portion of the land was reserved for a future fire substation. The current project is expected to utilize approximately two acres of the property.
The ongoing feasibility and schematic design phase will refine the space needs program, evaluate building and site concepts, and develop a schematic design, project schedule, and construction cost estimate. This work will establish the total project budget to be presented to Town Meeting on Saturday, May 2, 2026, for funding consideration. The project currently has a $4.1 million appropriation and will seek authorization for the remaining funding at that meeting.
In fall 2025, the Town conducted a competitive procurement for Owner’s Project Management services and selected LeftField, Inc., which was engaged in mid-October. During the late fall and winter, LeftField, in coordination with the Town, managed a separate procurement for architectural and engineering services, resulting in the selection of TGAS Architecture as the project’s designer.
Between now and Town Meeting, the project team will finalize the space needs program, prepare schematic designs, obtain two independent cost estimates and reconcile them, and develop a detailed schedule and project budget for presentation to the voters. If funding is approved, construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2027, with completion targeted for fall 2028 or earlier. Based on current financial planning, the Town does not anticipate the need for a debt-exclusion override to fund the project.
Please check this website page for periodic updates on the Project!
LeftField, LLC – Owner’s Project Manager “OPM”
LEFTFIELD is an Owner’s Representative and Project Management firm, established in 2007. We specialize in owners project management services and have significant experience in the public sector, working with municipalities and building authorities. As Owners Project Managers, we work in conjunction with the Owner serving as an extension of their staff. Our primary role is to protect the Owner’s interests, ensuring the Owner is well-served and that the established goals and objectives are met in the most efficient manner, physically and financially.
LEFTFIELD is well-versed in all phases of project management: planning, feasibility, preconstruction, design, bidding, construction, commissioning, and close-out. We have significant experience with both design-bid-build construction contract methodologies and the Construction Management at-Risk (CM at-Risk) approach. In addition to managing the design and construction of a project, LEFTFIELD has been instrumental in assisting owners with the acceptance and turnover of buildings from construction to operations.
For more information, go to www.leftfieldpm.com
The Galante Studio, Inc. – Architect
The Galante Architecture Studio, Inc. (TGAS) was established in 1997 by Founding Principal Theodore Galante and is an innovative, LEED®-accredited design studio providing architecture, urban planning, and design services throughout New England. TGAS is a boutique-scale studio with a team of 30 individuals from diverse backgrounds, and has completed hundreds of institutional, commercial, municipal, and residential projects over nearly three decades.
TGAS delivers forward-thinking design solutions that balance function, aesthetics, and budget through active listening and careful attention to detail. Our team integrates sustainable design with model making, prototyping, and advanced Revit-based BIM to clearly communicate design intent and guide projects through complex public review processes
For more information, please go to www.galantearchitecture.com