“Now the fun begins,” said Peterborough Fire and Rescue Chief Ed Walker as he scanned the future site of the department on Elm Street Wednesday.

Shovels went into the ground during a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday to begin the process of building new station for Peterborough Fire and Rescue – a long-awaited groundbreaking that came after years of proposals and revisions.

Town Administrator Nicole MacStay expressed gratitude to all involved who helped see this project through to this point.

“I want to thank all the staff and volunteers who over the last three decades have put in the work to carry this project forward. There has been a great deal of patience and persistence that went into keeping the project moving as other capital projects took precedence, and economic downturns sometimes slowed planning and development to a crawl,” she said.

The $11.7 million fire and rescue station campus will be adjacent to the Peterborough Community Center, at the corner of Elm Street and Route 101. In May of 2024, Peterborough Town Meeting approved funding for the project, and according to the Peterborough Select Board, 90% of the 368 voters approved the project, which will require raising $10.6 million through bonds. In October, Carl Mabbs-Zeno, co-chair of the project, said that costs should not exceed the amount approved at Town Meeting.

The Peterborough Fire Department has been housed in a converted 1940s-era garage since 1972, and the new campus with include a walkway to the Shaw’s and CVS shopping area.

In addition to an equipment bay, the 23,000-square-foot building will include living space, a kitchen and training rooms, as well as state-of-the-art IT servers for the town in the basement. The Aquarius, Peterborough’s 1914 American LaFrance fire truck, and other memorabilia from the history of the department will also be houses in a museum on-site.

Assistant Town Administrator Seth MacLean said that “This is a project 30 years in the making,” adding that some individuals who have worked on it have moved away or are deceased. He estimated the the project will take 16 to 18 months to complete.

Keith Kelley, Harvey Construction’s director of pre-construction and planning, said that the firm was  “Obviously happy to be working with the town on the project after two years of approvals and planning.” John Lawlor, project superintendent for harvey at the site, noted that the firm had also renovated the town library within the past five years.

“This facility will be a cornerstone of our emergency response and municipal services for generations to come,” said MacStay.