Station 1 renovation uncovers structural, electrical problems; $90,000 extra requested

Assistant Chief Conte reported Sept. 16 that contractors found structural and electrical deterioration while work was underway on Station 1’s apparatus floor and the department requested an additional $90,000 in funding to address the issues.

Conte told commissioners the request for an extra appropriation was reviewed by the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) the previous evening and that BET passed it unanimously. Conte said the request will next move through planning and zoning as part of the appropriation process.

Conte described the problems as age-related conditions in a 1960s building: rotted electrical conduits found in or under the slab, water damage from nonworking drains, and a lack of insulation under the original slab that must be added to meet current code. He said the work is largely structural and related to code compliance, and that change orders have been itemized. Conte said the project has a contingency and the additional funding is not holding up completion of the slab; he expects the floor to be finished within a few weeks once the work proceeds.

Commissioners asked whether the appropriation is a special appropriation and whether planning and zoning review will be required; Conte confirmed it is a special appropriation and that planning and zoning is the next step. He said overhead door replacements at Station 1 will follow the floor work and that most station doors across the city have already been replaced.

No formal vote on the additional appropriation was taken by the commission at the Sept. 16 meeting; Conte said BET approved the additional funds and the department will continue through the municipal approval process.