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Medford officials say Fire Station 15 bids came under budget; groundbreaking set for April 10
Summary
Fire Chief Eric Thompson reported the guaranteed maximum price for Fire Station 15 is $8,341,765, with a 5% contractor contingency and $500,000 in owner-controlled contingency; staff said a groundbreaking is scheduled for the 10th and completion is anticipated in July 2026.
Fire Chief Eric Thompson told the Medford City Council on April 2 that bids for Fire Station 15 came in below the project’s contracted amount and that construction is proceeding toward a planned groundbreaking on April 10.
Thompson said the city recently received a guaranteed maximum price amendment to the construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) contract, listing the GMP at $8,341,765. “We received our guaranteed maximum price amendment to the construction manager general contracting contract,” he said, adding that the CM/GC includes a 5% contractor contingency and that the city also has an owner-controlled contingency of $500,000.
The fire chief outlined a three-phase schedule: site work and preparation of temporary apparatus bays (phase 1), placement of a modular unit and demolition of the existing station to begin main construction (phase 2), and final build-out of a logistics center (phase 3). Thompson said work on temporary apparatus bays is expected to start the week after the council meeting and that the project anticipates completion in July 2026.
Thompson also reviewed the project history in brief: the council authorized bond sales for the project in June 2024 and later approved architecture and engineering and CM/GC agreements. He credited the CM/GC team and the city’s project manager for bringing bids in under the contract estimate.
Councilor Kevin Stein asked whether additional council votes were needed now that the GMP was set; Thompson replied the council’s prior approval used a not-to-exceed structure and that no further action is required because bids came in below the previously authorized amount. Thompson noted the GMP includes contractor contingency and that the owner-controlled contingency is available for unforeseen items.
Thompson identified Outlier as the CM/GC partner and mentioned Sam Barnum as the project manager and Mason Drake as Outlier staff present at the meeting. He said the project will move logistics operations out of temporary Connex boxes at Station 16 and into a permanent logistics center at Station 15 once work is complete.
The update closed with no council action requested at the meeting; Thompson and staff invited further questions and confirmed the schedule and contingency levels that the city will use during construction.
