Old 1951 firehouse in Cape being turned into rental house

The trucks left the Emerald Street firehouse nearly 10 years ago, when the new station on North Sprigg Street opened. Since then it has sat quietly, housing files and equipment for the department rather than firefighters and their emergency vehicles.

But soon new life will be brought into the old building. The city has sold the property, and Quinn Strong of Capital Real Estate Group is turning the old fire station into a four-bedroom rental home.

Strong said his goal was to maintain the visual effect of the old firehouse, but changes had to be made to bring the building up to code and make it livable.

"We had to include the creature comforts you expect in a modern rental home," Strong said.

New gutters, roofing, plumbing lines and electricity all will be brought into the building. Windows have been replaced with newer, larger models to align with new egress standards. A new furnace will be installed with 98-percent efficiency.

Garrett Seabaugh with Cape Construction and Roofing repairs plaster on the ceiling of an old fire station on Emerald Street that will be turned into a four bedroom rental home Thursday in Cape Girardeau.Glenn Landberg

"This will be a very energy-efficient building, despite its size," Strong said. "It's nearly 3,000 square feet."

Essentially the only thing that will remain original from the old station will be the frame.

"I'm not sure who built it, but it was built very well," Strong said. "Normally in old buildings the concrete eventually fails, but in the case of this property, there's been very little cracking."

Two bedrooms will sit on either side of the building, replacing what were once one-room bunk quarters, gang showers and a family visiting room. The four bedrooms will flank what is arguably the most interesting feature of the house: the living room and kitchen in the former engine bay. The two large garage doors through which the trucks would enter and exit the station have been replaced with newer models, but residents of the house will have the option to open up the large doors, providing open entryway into the living room. The kitchen will feature 16 feet of cabinet space, and a 12-foot bar area. Some of the original lighting fixtures will be installed alongside new ones.

Concrete pillars will be placed in front of the garage doors to protect the entryway, which sits just inches from the city's right of way, Strong said.

Quinn Strong explains the layout of an old fire station on Emerald Street that will be turned into a four bedroom rental home Thursday in Cape Girardeau.Glenn Landberg

"We've had to get creative to get the building up to code," he said.

The four bedrooms will have heating and air conditioning independent from the main room and its potentially wide-open doors, to maintain energy efficiency. The walls of each bedroom also have been framed out in order to allow for extra insulation.

Each bedroom also will include wall-mounted televisions, LED lighting and ceiling fans, Strong said.

Just past the kitchen are two full bathrooms set back-to-back, to consolidate plumbing. A laundry room and mechanical room sit just beyond them.

Until it was replaced in 2007, the Emerald Street Station No. 3 was the oldest active fire station in Cape Girardeau, serving the community since 1951.

Strong said several active firefighters have stopped by since he began work on the building, to see how progress is going. He plans to invite them all back after work is completed in about a month, so they can see what has been made of their old home.

"In terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness, this is the best plan," Strong said. "Hopefully they appreciate what I'm doing."

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

429 Emerald St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.