Council awards design contract for new Fire Station 1 to SEH; approval contingent on legal review

The Common Council voted Dec. 16 to award an architectural and engineering design contract for a proposed new Fire Station 1 to Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH), with final approval contingent on review by the city attorney.

City staff presented the recommendation to select SEH after a quality‑based selection process. Max (City staff) said the city used purchasing policy procedures and a 10‑member selection committee reviewed seven proposals before recommending SEH.

Trevor Frank, a senior architect with SEH, told the council his team has specialized experience in fire stations and emergency facilities and said the firm can meet the city’s schedule. “We were asked in our interview if we thought there was any reservation on our behalf to do that. Our response was we wouldn’t have probably submitted a proposal had we not been able to accomplish the schedule,” Frank said. He said SEH’s proposed design team will lead the project from start to finish and noted the firm has worked on similar projects, including a roughly 40,000‑square‑foot station currently in Watertown, Wisconsin.

Fire Chief Jay Noren said the selection committee included fire staff, council members and the mayor and that SEH stood out for experience and for being a good working fit with the department. He described operational reasons for a larger station — modern turnout/contamination control areas, separate dirty/clean zones, on‑site decontamination and room for larger apparatus — and the benefits of drive‑through bays to reduce backing accidents.

Council members pressed for clarity on cost drivers and contracting. Frank described how SEH estimated professional fees by projecting hours and comparing to recent, similarly sized projects, rather than a simple percentage of construction cost. He said the firm prefers an American Institute of Architects (AIA) contract as the contracting vehicle.

Alderman Buschlik, noting resident questions about the building’s size and cost, said modern fire stations include spaces and systems intended to reduce occupational cancer risks and to house 24/7 crews. Alderman Sparks, who served on the selection committee, said members performed a detailed review of proposals and recommended moving forward.

Alderman Sparks made the motion to approve the SEH award pending final legal review by the city attorney; Alderman Allen seconded. The council voted by voice and the motion carried.

The council record shows the new station site at the southeast corner of Washington Street and Highway 45 and the project team said the building programming is driven by operational needs and additional equipment storage that pushes the footprint above more typical 25,000‑square‑foot stations.

Officials said the design schedule is aggressive and the city will work with SEH to begin kickoff activities as soon as the contract is finalized.