Urbana officials told the City Council on Oct. 28 that construction of two new fire stations is proceeding and remains near the previously approved budget, though schedule and site conditions have created modest delays.

Public Works Director Tim Collin and Project Manager Ray Garcia gave the update, saying the city has spent about $5,000,000 to date — roughly 30% of the total project budget — and that construction progress is roughly 20% complete. "Total spend to date is about $5,000,000 on this or about 30% of the total budget," Collin said.

The presentation said land acquisition is complete and the project overall was projected to finish at about 97% of the original authorized cost. Garcia and Collin told council members that site‑specific soil problems at both locations required remediation and that some contingency and allowance dollars were used early in construction. "Both of our sites, we encountered very poor soils at both of our sites," Garcia said, adding the team used soil stabilization and other plans to control costs and keep schedule moving.

Council members questioned sustainable features, reuse of existing stations and costs. Council member Grace asked whether geothermal wells and a solar‑ready design were included; Collin confirmed the geothermal wells are already installed and that the solar hookup is planned as described in the city’s capital improvement plan. Grace also raised tree and public‑food‑producing plantings; Collin said the city must comply with land‑development and tree‑commission rules before committing to plantings.

Several council members asked what would happen to the old stations. Collin said the city has made no final decision and that the old stations will remain operational through the coming winter while staff evaluate reuse, rehabilitation needs and potential economic development drivers. "I don't know that it's decided what is gonna happen with those buildings," Collin said. "They certainly could serve a purpose, depending on what the use is, and that could be explored further."

Project managers showed progress photos and said the Bradley Avenue site expects truss setting and enclosure in the near term, weather permitting. Garcia said crews have logged more than 4,000 man‑hours across both sites without incident and are averaging roughly 25–36 workers per day on the projects.

On cost items, staff said construction spending lags payments by roughly a month and that some early purchases for alerting and access systems are included in the FF&E (furnishings, fixtures, equipment) line. Collin said the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) with the primary contractor is holding and that, barring extraordinary events, the project should not exceed the GMP. He cautioned that financing costs (bond interest) are separate from the construction budget and will add to the overall capital cost once bonding occurs.

Council members pressed whether national inflation or material prices were still affecting the project; Garcia said material prices had largely stabilized for this project because many vendors had already locked prices and ordered supplies, but warned the city should expect annual market increases going forward.

Why it matters: the two buildings will replace aging facilities and are among the city's largest capital projects in recent years. The council heard details on schedule risks — poor soils and winter weather — and on possible reuse options for the existing stations. Staff said unspent allowances would revert to the city after contract closeout.

Implementation notes: staff will continue construction oversight, pursue enclosure ahead of winter where possible and report back on final invoices and any contingency use. Council members asked staff to explore options for reuse of the old stations and to return with those findings before demolition decisions are made.