Rural/Metro relocates administration, operations facility to former Marsellus Casket building

SYRACUSE — Rural/Metro Ambulance, which is changing its name to AMR (American Medical Response), recently relocated its administration, operations, training, and vehicle facility from West Onondaga Street in Syracuse to more than 38,000 square feet of leased commercial space on Richmond Avenue.

Ed Kiesa brokered the lease at 101 Richmond Ave., Syracuse, the site of the former Marsellus Casket Company, according to a news release from the real-estate firm. Financial and lease terms were not provided.

Rural/Metro chose the newly constructed building, now known as Marsellus Commons, for its city address, central location with convenient access, ample parking, and backup power supply, the release stated.

Rural/Metro and other tenants have occupied the first three floors of Marsellus Commons, leaving the top three floors still available for lease by CBRE, the real-estate firm said.

Rural/Metro moved to Marsellus Commons on June 7, and the firm has 250 employees working from the new building in rotating shifts, Troy Hogue, the company’s regional director for Central New York, says in an email.

The firm is rebranding to the AMR name following its acquisition by AMR’s parent company, Envision Healthcare Holdings Inc., late last year. The $620 million deal united rival ambulance-service providers.

“We have already changed several ambulances, and 911, police, fire [personnel] are all calling us AMR now,” Hogue says of the name change.