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Irondale council accepts Argo bid for Fire Station 3; members ask to see design documents
Summary
The City of Irondale accepted a recommended construction bid from Argo Building Company LLC for Fire Station 3 for $8,061,925, funded from the bond package; several council members asked the administration to provide the council with the architect’s design documents before work proceeds.
The Irondale City Council voted to accept a construction bid from Argo Building Company LLC for Fire Station 3 in the amount of $8,061,925, with funding drawn from the city’s bond issue the mayor said had been executed in August 2024.
Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. told the council that five bids were received and that the city’s architect and project team reviewed them and recommended Argo’s bid. “We finally made it to the point that we're in a place to be able to adopt the resolution to accept the bid from Argo Building Company,” Stewart said. The council approved the item on the consent agenda.
Why it matters: The new station is one of the municipality’s capital projects tied to the bond package. Council members pressed the administration for the project drawings and for clarity about what the approved contract covers, saying the council has oversight responsibility for city-owned construction projects.
Councilwoman Cuellar pressed the administration for the plans during discussion. “Where are the designs for the building? We were never given the designs,” she said, asking that the architect’s drawings be delivered to the council. The mayor and staff said design documents exist — they were produced as part of the procurement — and that the bid documents were issued to bidders. Council members requested a copy of the plans for review.
Council discussion also touched on schedule and scope. Mayor Stewart said the project is ready to move forward and that funds were available from the bond issue. City staff and the architect told the council the project is a four-bay fire station and that other training-facility components that had appeared in earlier, larger program concepts were separated off and may be pursued later. A representative from the architect/owner’s team confirmed the contract delivery schedule is roughly 420 days.
The council also asked about a hardened/safe area inside the building. The mayor said the facility includes a protective room intended for station employees, not a public storm shelter. Council members noted tree-removal timing and permitting constraints in the area where the station will be built.
The acceptance of Argo’s bid follows prior council approvals for the architect’s contract and for the bond funding used to finance the capital program. Council members said they want the administration to circulate the construction drawings and key project documents so councilors can track scope and allowances as construction begins.
What happens next: With the bid accepted, the city will execute a contract with the recommended bidder and begin mobilization and preconstruction. Council members asked staff to distribute plans and the bid-tabulation package to the full council.
Votes and motion: The motion to accept the Argo bid was included on the consent agenda and carried when the consent agenda passed; the vote on the consent motion was recorded as in favor: Council President Spivey, Councilman London, Councilman McQuear, Councilman Box and Councilman Sims.
Credits/Attribution: Mayor James D. Stewart Jr.; Councilwoman [First name not provided] Cuellar; architect Charles Williams (presenting as part of the project team).
