Shawn Donahue to restore old Kilmarnock fire house as luxury apartments
Shawn Donahue, President of Donahue Properties LLC, has acquired the old firehouse building at 15 East Church Street in Kilmarnock and plans to restore it, converting it into luxury apartments.
Donahue says the building dates from 1899, when it was first an auto repair garage. It was converted into use as the Kilmarnock Firehouse in 1938, and about 1976 was converted into residential Apartment units when the Kilmarnock Fire Department moved to its new location on School Street. Donahue bought the property earlier this year.
The property was converted for use as a firehouse after the Kilmarnock Volunteer Fire Department, which was organized in the Depression year of 1932, quickly outgrew its original location. The department was answering so many calls from outside the town limits that it had to acquire more and better equipment. The Church street location gave the department the added room it needed to house and maintain that equipment.
Donahue is planning an historic restoration to the of the building, using federal and state tax credits available for that purpose. He believes this is the first such commercial restoration using these resources in the town of Kilmarnock.
William Prillaman is the architect for the project, which Donahue estimates it will cost between $750,000 to $1 million dollars to restore the building. Donahue said he plans to use all local contractors for the work, as he has done in his other projects.
“We will be working with the Main Street Redevelopment Committee of the town of Kilmarnock to assure that the design for lighting and sidewalks meets the requirements of the new town plan,” Donahue said. Donahue serves as a member of that committee.
The present garage door at the front of the building will be redesigned as a glass window that still appears to be a garage door, according to Donahue. It will serve as the entrance to a lobby for the apartments, complete with old photos and other mementoes of its era as a firehouse.
The apartments will be serviced by an elevator and each of the seven units will have its own fireplaces, hardwood floors, Gourmet kitchens with marble counter tops dishwashers, Full size washers and dryers in each unit. Some units will also have balconies the building will also have Electronic entry system and a Community room. Reserved off street parking is also available for residents.
Donahue said “that in the interest of the community safety and conversations with Ed Davis Jr of the Kilmarnock Fire Department we are planning on installing a fire sprinkler system throughout the entire building.”
Donahue Properties LLC. is a full service property management company, serving the needs of the tenants and property owners of the Northern Neck Shawn Donahue can be reached at 804-435-7600.
