CORTEZ – The old volunteer firehouse in Cortez is getting a facelift.
Built in 1950, the building at 4523 123rd St. Court W. served as a volunteer fire department in Cortez for many years. In 1997, the West Manatee Fire District deeded the property to the non-profit Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH).
While the building sat relatively dormant for a period of time and has been used for storage and as a voting precinct, FISH is now undertaking its renovation to bring it back as a gathering place for the community.
Longtime Cortez residents remember the building not only as a firehouse, but as the site of community fish fries.
“I can remember the fish fries there back in the 80s,” Cortez resident Pat Potts said.
A one-man construction crew, volunteer Bob Hooper, has spent several hours just about every day for the past four months getting the building ready for its return to the historic fish fries and social gatherings of years past.
“I’ve painted the walls, put in a new back door, we’re putting in a stainless steel countertop and a new sink and garbage disposal to go in here,” Hooper said. “All these filters are brand new. On the roof there’s a new fan. That’s all brand new.”
“This place has been sitting here vacant for quite a few years,” Hooper said. “Most of the work is prepping, you’ve got to clean the walls and mop them and get all the dirt and dust off. The floors had tile, so I took the tile off and got a grinder to grind all the glue off. I’ll repaint the concrete floors.”
The centerpiece of the kitchen, a 10-burner gas stove that Hooper estimates has been there for more than 40 years, is being cleaned up and refurbished.
“We had it tested last week, the oven on one side doesn’t work, it needs a thermostat which we’re getting,” he said. “This deep fryer is shot so we have to get a new one.”
Hooper is waiting for cabinet delivery so he can put the kitchen sink in and said after that his work is pretty much done there.
Some of the plumbing lines had been replaced by a plumber who lives in the neighborhood, Hooper said.
“The lines were full of grease, I guess from the old fish fries,” he said. “That’s all dug up and ready to be replaced.”
The bathrooms have been updated with new toilets and new sink fixtures.
Hooper worked as a water treatment operator for 33 years and being handy comes naturally to him, but the work at the firehouse hasn’t been without its challenges.
“Within four months it’s flooded here twice, about 4-5 inches during the storm surges,” Hooper said. “This door is a hollow door and it got wet. I cut it in half and used the top half to make it a Dutch door.”
Hooper said the water heater was sitting on the floor when the water came in and it damaged the bottom.
“They got a new one and I raised it up off the floor,” Hooper said.
“We could use a simple fridge donated with a top freezer and lower refrigerator,” FISH board member Karen Bell said. “The last one got ruined in the flood.”
“All this will be taken out and will be empty with tables here for fish fries,” Hooper said of the main area of the building. I think they want to do two fish fries a week.”
