Council committee approves design contracts for Westport Avenue Fire Station (Station 4) renovation

The Land Use and Building Management Committee voted unanimously Sept. 3 to authorize the mayor to execute architectural design agreements for the Westport Avenue Fire Station (Station 4) renovation and expansion. The committee approved an agreement with Adnanazi Associates, PC for design services not to exceed $311,200 and authorized a design contingency with Antonacci Associates, PC not to exceed $31,120.

The authorization implements a capital budget allocation. City staff said the project team has $4 million allocated for construction in the capital budget and has completed an architect selection process. "Recently, as part of the recent capital budget process, the city allocated $4,000,000 to the construction of the... renovation expansion of the facility," said a city staff member. The contracts approved Sept. 3 cover design services only.

Deputy Fire Chief Mark Conte described operational benefits expected from the renovation: relocating a ladder truck to Station 4 would improve coverage and response times for the Cranberry / Westport Avenue area, and relocating the rescue company to Broad River Station would put that unit in a better location for citywide response to major corridors such as the parkway and Route 7. "This will allow us to move a ladder truck from Broad River Station to the Westport Avenue Station... and essentially double the coverage and response time there," Conte said.

Selection and schedule: staff said three firms were shortlisted after a procurement and interview process; Antonacci Associates previously provided conceptual work for the project and work on Jefferson and Cranberry schools, and scored highest in the interview/rating process. Staff estimated the design contract will take about six to seven months. The next steps are to prepare a request for proposals for a construction manager, advertise that RFP and hire a construction manager; staff anticipated bidding construction in spring and hoped to begin excavation and site work before winter to avoid seasonal delays.

Vote and motion: Council member Jim Frayer moved the items; the committee called for the vote and Chair Barbara Smith reported a unanimous voice vote approving the authorizations.

Distinction of decisions vs. discussion: the committee approved the design agreements (formal action). Discussion items included coverage benefits, sequencing of moving apparatus between stations, the $4 million capital allocation and an anticipated design-to-bid schedule; staff emphasized that the approvals were for design and procurement work only, not for construction contracts.

Ending: Staff said they will issue the construction manager RFP soon and expect to return to the council for construction manager approval and bid-related actions; the project timeline discussed would place design completion in early 2026 with construction procurement and early site work targeted for spring/summer 2026 depending on procurement timing and weather constraints.