From the Ashes
There was a gaping hole in the roof of the building sitting at the corner of Third Avenue and Columbia Street. Abandoned for many years and far from its former glory as a home for firefighters, Firehouse No. 8 was on the city’s auction block in 1995. Looking at the structure, with the roof collapsed and revealing the sky above, John Bassemier wasn’t sure it was a building he wanted. But he decided to take a look anyway.