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Council reviews expanded fire-station design and a $4–5M cost increase; asks staff to trim options
Summary
Architects presented an updated design for a new combined fire station (consolidating Stations 2 and 4) with seven apparatus bays, training tower and large public/training spaces; the current estimate rose to about $30 million with contingency, prompting council requests to pare public/exterior features and return with refined numbers this fall.
City architects and fire staff presented a substantially developed design for a new combined fire station intended to consolidate Stations 2 and 4. The proposed facility includes seven apparatus bays, a training tower and mezzanine (roughly 4,100 square feet of second-floor training/storage) and a first-floor program of about 39,000 square feet that combines public classroom spaces, administrative offices and cold/hot zones for firefighter health and decontamination.
Staff said the estimate for the project is roughly $30 million, about $4–5 million higher than earlier study estimates. The current cost model includes a 10% contingency rolled into the total; RJM was engaged as construction manager and staff said they are still refining numbers. Councilmembers questioned the scope and cost of public-facing amenities (a large fitness area, multiple conference rooms and a display bay) and asked whether trimming exterior finishes, a conference room or the vehicle-display area could reduce project costs while preserving core operational functions.
Operational design points: Architects explained health-and-wellness design choices intended to separate contaminant-laden areas from living/administrative spaces and to provide dorm-suite-style resident rooms with locker hall access, a wellness room, and apparatus-layout options that can accommodate ambulances in the future. Staff noted the design allows for equipment and ambulance reallocation across other stations if needed.
Council direction: Members asked staff to explore tradeoffs — including reducing public/fitness acreage, removing a display bay and re-examining the number and size of bays — and to return this fall with a narrowed design and updated cost estimates. Several councilors warned that the city has dedicated franchise fees to the project and must balance this build with future renovations to Stations 1 and 3.
No construction contract or final budget was approved at the Sept. 10 meeting; staff said they would return with recommended revisions and firm pricing.
