Cold Weather Slows Fenton Fire House Rebuild, Schedule HoldsCold Weather Slows Fenton Fire House Rebuild, Schedule Holds

3/22/13 - A few setbacks in the construction of the new Fenton Fire Hall restaurant have not changed the planned opening date of June 30th. The old fire station on Leroy Street in Fenton was recently purchased by Curt Catallo, owner of the Clarkston Union restaurant in Clarkston. Although the renovation of the building to turn it into a restaurant is currently underway, Catallo says the lingering cold weather has prevented crews from laying the foundation for a planned addition to the fire hall. The addition is the only planned change to the exterior of the building and will house the mechanics of the restaurant. Catallo says he was not expecting snow on the first day of spring, but he fully expects to open the restaurant on June 30th as planned. He tells WHMI that this is just one of the road bumps they have encountered in the renovation process. Construction on the new addition got off to a rocky start when the soil was found to be too soft to provide a base for the structure. Catallo says this was not unusual since the building is located just off the Shiawassee River, but in order to continue he had to purchase $17,000 in fill soil. Opening day will include rooftop dining, but the retractable roof planned to go over the dining area will have to be finished and installed at a later date. (TD)