(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
A two-hour open house at Fire Station 11 (16th/Holden in Highland Park) had two purposes today: Welcome the neighbors, and share information about upcoming upgrades. The neighbors most delighted to be there, as usual, were the youngest ones, who got an up-close look at Engine 11.

(Battalion Chief Mike Walsh with an open-house visitor)
Here’s how the city describes the upgrades:

Station 11 requires additional seismic bracing to meet current codes. The other improvements include a modest remodel to provide capacity for apparatus bay support functions, including decontamination, crew preparation, and vehicle maintenance areas. In addition, the station office and lobby will be remodeled for greater operational efficiency and security.

It’s in the “schematic design” phase right now, and according to the newest SFD update on projects funded by the Fire Levy, construction should start about this time next year. Upgrades also are in the works for West Seattle’s Fire Station 36, where Delridge meets the bridge, and that work will likely start next summer.