Aransas Pass council hears renovation plan for police and fire facilities amid cost concerns

Designers from Chesney Morales Partners presented a combined police and fire station renovation to the Aransas Pass City Council on Monday, outlining new additions, program changes and a schedule that could move the project to bid in spring 2026.

Jason Walters, the project presenter, described a two‑story fire department addition, a police department expansion and an alternate apparatus bay. He said the full project will be phased so dispatch and emergency services remain operational during construction. "This is kind of an overview of what the floor plans can look like," Walters said while showing renderings and floor plans.

The presentation included preliminary square‑foot figures and cost components. Walters said the fire department addition would include dorms, day rooms and specialized storage, and that the project includes design and owner contingencies. Councilmembers pressed for clarity after Walters referenced a training‑facility/addition estimated in the presentation materials at near $968,096 for roughly 2,100 square feet; several raised concerns about the per‑square‑foot cost. "Almost $1,000,000 for 2,100 square feet is excessive," one councilmember said during discussion.

Walters said the estimate was prepared by division (demo, slab, roof, systems) rather than as a simple square‑foot calculation and noted contingencies had been adjusted; he said he initially included a 10% design contingency and later reduced it to 5%. He also told council the cost will be refined once the design is finalized and the project is bid. "I did have the cost broken down per item, per division," Walters said. "When we go out for bids, you'll have a more accurate number."

Council discussion ranged beyond price. Members asked whether the city should rely on the civic center for training space rather than building a dedicated room, whether the municipal court or civic center could absorb some functions, and how department schedules and grant funding affect the need for on‑site training space. Staff said scheduling conflicts and occasional third‑party fees make an on‑site training area useful for in‑house needs.

Walters closed with a project schedule: 75% construction documents expected late January, 100% by mid‑March, advertisement for bids in May and an anticipated contractor approval in mid‑May, followed by roughly 12–16 months of construction phased to maintain operations.

What happens next: designers will provide council a detailed cost breakdown and contingency clarifications to address the per‑square‑foot concerns before the project proceeds to final design and bidding.