The shop is operating legally across the street from Mahoney Middle School, but some say it sends the wrong message to schoolchildren.

City officials are still waiting to learn whether the brand new $1.1 million ladder truck is a total loss and how much of it will be covered by insurance.

Replacing, rather than repairing, the Portland Street Pier would cost at least $1.8 million, but it would help ensure the facility’s long-term viability amid rising tides in the warming Atlantic.