The firehouse will soon have a purpose: hosting a cafe and recreational space.

Originally used as Le Moyne College’s theater, the firehouse has gone largely unused since the W. Carroll Coyne Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1998. Soon after, the firehouse was sold, only to be bought back in 2019. 

Reasonably, its lack of use has led many to speculate as to what it could become. Some have hoped it would be used to make extra space for the theater department. Others had hoped it could become a space that clubs could meet at.

Now, these questions are answered as Le Moyne Campus Architect Fouad Dietz has revealed the plans for the soon to be christened, according to Le Moyne Director of Communications Joe Della Posta, McNeill Firehouse.

According to Dietz, the first floor of the firehouse will host Cafe Kubal, with the second floor housing Le Moyne’s graduate counseling and mental health program, while also having a multipurpose room which Dietz said could be used for “yoga, classes, conference, or a club meeting space.” 

Dietz estimated these required renovations to cost around $300,000.

Getting Cafe Kubal in the firehouse will be a momentous occasion for Le Moyne; however, it will be open to the entire public, not just Le Moyne students.

According to Dietz, Cafe Kubal is in “no way” to affect the campus’ other cafe, Kaffe Nuvo. “They serve different markets,” he continued, citing how Kaffe Nuvo is exclusive for Le Moye students and faculty. 

While these plans are exciting, they leave some concerns. Will the cafe become too crowded for students to really benefit from it by being open to the public? Will the firehouse’s facilities even be worth the trek to it, considering how far it is from the rest of campus? Will the workspaces be good environments for classes, or will a cafe being one floor down prove to be distracting?

Regardless of these concerns, Dietz expects the renovations to begin and end within the next year, finally putting the firehouse to use.