San Francisco officials detail Station 49 ambulance facility plans, warn of $5 million overrun

Public Works and Fire Department officials on Feb. 14 updated the Fire Commission on plans for a new ambulance deployment facility at 2241 Gerald Avenue, saying the project is moving into permitting and bid phases but faces technical and budgetary challenges.

"We have completed 95% construction documents," Samuel Chu of the Department of Public Works told the commission, adding that the plans were in review at Planning and DBI and that the department expected to advertise for bids in April. The design calls for a four-story building with a two-level parking garage and an adjacent ambulance yard next to Fire Station 9.

Chu said the total project budget is $48,600,000, broken down roughly as $35.2 million for construction, $11.2 million for project controls and $2.2 million for other project costs. That figure is about $5 million higher than the original allocation of $43,500,000.

"The top three reasons for this increase was an unprecedented bidding market for specialty trades, mitigation of difficult soils and the enhanced structural demands of an essential-services building," Chu said.

Assistant Deputy Chief Tony Rivera and Chief Joanne Hayes White emphasized operational improvements the new facility will deliver. Rivera said the design allows four ambulances to refuel simultaneously and adds dedicated space for in-service training, supplies and biomedical repair — features he said current temporary facilities do not provide.

Commissioners pressed staff on the schedule and the $5 million overrun. Corso, the city's finance director for the department, said the additional funds would be drawn from the neighborhood fire station component of the voter-approved Public Health and Safety bond and by identifying savings elsewhere in the bond program. "We're also working with DPW closely to identify savings elsewhere throughout the bond program to see if those funds would be used," Mark Corso said.

Officials described environmental and site constraints that complicate construction: contaminated fill and a high water table at the site, high asbestos levels in existing structures and a narrow street frontage that limits access. Staff said a separate abatement and demolition contract is planned to start in May to speed the overall timeline and potentially lower costs.

If reviews and permitting proceed as expected, staff said construction would begin in August and take about two years to reach substantial completion, with a subsequent two-to-three month move-in period before operations start.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the project during the update. Commissioners praised the progress and asked for follow-up reports on permits, abatement contracts and detailed cost estimates as the bid phase approaches.