Mike Bresnan, president of firefighters and paramedics Local 22 union, appeared at last week’s East Torresdale Civic Association meeting to discuss a planned move to 9189-91 Torresdale Ave. (at Linden Avenue), into the former home of Lincoln Technical Institute, which has moved to Bucks County.
Local 22 is in a 10,000-square-foot building at 415 N. 5th St. There are just 25 spots in an adjacent parking lot.
The new site, with two buildings, will include a lounge, a 250-capacity banquet hall, office space, gym, 160 parking spots and a memorial fountain for the fire department’s 300 line-of-duty deaths. There will be entrances and exits on Torresdale and Linden.
The building will be open to active and retired firefighters and paramedics and associate members. About 10 to 15 people will be working there on a regular basis.
“We’re going to make the building look beautiful,” said Bresnan, who lives in Torresdale..
The visit was a courtesy to East Torresdale Civic, as the registered community organization handling the case is the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association, which voted 25-4 in support of the proposal.
A couple of ETCA members complained that Local 22 will have a lot of events to help pay for the cost of the building, and that there will be loud music, noise, traffic issues and drunks leaving the property.
However, Bresnan said the $2.3 million cost of the building will be paid off by money already in Local 22’s account and the sale of its existing building, with the union president adding he expects to get $4 million to $5 million for the property.
The Torresdale and Linden site is zoned industrial, and Local 22 is seeking a variance for assembly use. The Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing is Dec. 10.
Bresnan hopes to move into the new site by 2027.
In other news from the Nov. 10 meeting:
• Cinnamon Hill, community relations officer in the 8th Police District, cautioned people to be careful during the holiday shopping season. She added that there are people who follow Amazon and FedEx trucks to steal packages after they are placed outside front doors.
• St. Katherine of Siena Parish, 9700 Frankford Ave., will host a Family Volunteer Day on Saturday, Nov. 22. There will be a Caring for Friends cook-in at 10 a.m., a blanket-making project for ill children at 10:45 and rosary making with the Catholic Daughters at 11.
• East Torresdale Civic Association will meet on Monday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 9601 Frankford Ave. ••
