ST. PETE BEACH — Nearly two years after hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded Pass-a-Grille’s fire station, the city has started building its replacement.
City and state officials, firefighters and residents gathered Sept. 16 at Pass-a-Grille Way and 20th Avenue to break ground on the $10.5 million Fire Station 22. Officials expect construction to take about 14 months.
The new station replaces the original 1974 building, which suffered severe flood and storm damage in 2024 and was demolished in May.
“It’s about making sure the people who protect this community have the facility, the equipment and the resources they need to do their jobs today and for many years to come,” Mayor Scott Tate said.
The new station will be elevated above the floodplain and built to current hurricane-resistant standards, city officials said. It will include living quarters sized for today’s fire and emergency medical crews, along with training areas, workout space, a kitchen and meeting rooms.
“Since the storms, our crews have been operating at a temporary facility. They’ve been in a double-wide trailer, and it’s like they’re camping every day when they come to work,” said Adam Poirrier, the city’s fire chief and assistant city manager.
Poirrier said keeping a station close to the beach is critical for response times.
“This area gets very congested, especially in busy summer and spring break time, so the closer we are to the main beach areas the better for our response areas for sure,” he said.
The state is covering $6.5 million of the cost through appropriations secured by state Sen. Nick DiCeglie and state Rep. Linda Chaney, both of whom Tate thanked at the ceremony.
Chaney said the state typically expects local governments to pay for their own fire stations.
“The fact that St. Pete Beach has gotten about half of this station funded by the state is really a testament to what a great community St. Pete Beach is, what wonderful firefighters we have and what a great partner I have in the Senate,” she said.
DiCeglie said the project reflects the region’s priorities.
“Resiliency, making sure that we’re protected and making sure that we’re preparing for the next storm, because it’s not an if, it’s a when it’s going to come back to us,” he said.
Pinellas County Commissioner Kathleen Peters said the station was a long time coming.
“Our firefighters and our paramedics deserve the very best that our community has to offer,” Peters said. “I’m so glad you’re going to have a resilient building that’s going to be here for a long time to come.”
City funds Suncoast Beach Trolley for three more months
St. Pete Beach will pay the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority $60,500 to keep the Suncoast Beach Trolley running through the end of the year while the two sides negotiate a longer-term deal.
“Approval will prevent an interruption in these transportation services while the city determines its longer-term service arrangement,” Poirrier told commissioners.
The temporary agreement continues fixed-route trolley service, PSTA Access paratransit and mobility-on-demand service for city residents, Poirrier said.
The trolley runs along Gulf Boulevard, connecting St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, John’s Pass Village, Madeira Beach, the Redington beaches, Indian Shores, Indian Rocks Beach and Clearwater Beach. Trolleys run about every 30 minutes from 5:05 a.m. to 11:31 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 12:56 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Several commissioners asked about PSTA Access, the paratransit service for riders with disabilities. Rides must be booked by phone or through the PSTA Access app by 5 p.m. the day before travel.
The stopgap deal follows a pricing problem with the city’s current contract. The City Commission approved a $220,600 agreement for fiscal 2026 in June, and the PSTA Board of Directors approved it July 23. PSTA later told the city the service actually costs $308,279 to operate, but because of an accounting error, the agency would charge only the amount it had originally quoted. PSTA absorbed the difference of about $87,700. The two sides are now negotiating a 2027 contract.
The trolley deal comes as the city ends its Freebee microtransit service, which cost about $536,700 a year. Service stops Sept. 30.
Freebee grew out of an earlier transit fight. St. Pete Beach once paid PSTA to run buses south into Pass-a-Grille, but residents objected to large buses rolling through the historic neighborhood. The city dropped that service and used the savings to launch Freebee, Commissioner Karen Marriott noted.
Freebee started on a limited stretch of the south end before expanding north and into residential neighborhoods. It proved popular, especially on weekends, when residents and visitors used it to reach restaurants and entertainment spots. Ridership fell about 45% after the commission began charging nonresidents $3 a ride.
Citing budget constraints, commissioners voted to drop the program, saying the city should not spend taxpayer money on private transportation, much of it for visitors, when other options are available.