The Palm Springs City Council on Jan. 14 heard conceptual designs and a facilities assessment from Fire Chief Paul Alvarado and architect Maria Song that recommend rebuilding Fire Station 1 near its current Indian Canyon site and upgrading Stations 3 and 5 to meet modern service needs.

Alvarado told the council the department’s assessment covered three stations: Station 1 (Indian Canyon), roughly 70 years old; Station 3 (East Racquet Club), about 60 years old; and Station 5 (Bolero), 44 years old. He said each facility is undersized by current standards, with shared sleeping quarters and single bathrooms that are not gender‑inclusive. “So my goal tonight is to provide you with an overview of the Palm Springs Fire Department facility assessment,” Alvarado said during the presentation.

Architect Maria Song showed conceptual site plans for Station 1 that would preserve the historic 1957 building while constructing a new four‑bay apparatus building in an adjacent public parking lot. The design would more than double apparatus bay size and roughly triple crew quarters (from a crew of three to space for about 10), add two captain offices with dedicated restrooms, a training/meeting room, fitness area and an outdoor deck. Song said the historic station would remain in service during construction and a new courtyard would be created between the old and new buildings to respect the original design.

Council members asked detailed questions about parking impacts, utilities and community engagement. Councilmember Bernstein and others noted the plan would remove some public spaces; Song replied the concept reconfigures and relays roughly 35% of public parking and adds about 10 on‑site firefighter parking spaces within the new campus. The team also identified a 10‑foot utility easement that may constrain how far the new building can move south, and said further engineering review is needed.

Councilmembers pressed for continued engagement with frontline firefighters. Chief Alvarado said crews participated in surveys and working groups over the past two years, and staff will hold additional open houses for neighbors and business leaders. He recommended the city issue an RFP for a progressive design‑build agreement with a guaranteed maximum price and return contract documents to council for approval if the city proceeds.

The presentation also covered a smaller addition to Station 3 that would add roughly 20% more space, six individual sleep rooms with private restrooms, and a reconfigured driveway to improve engine turning and create room for additions on the constrained site. Station 5, located on the golf course, was described as worn and lacking drive‑through capability; staff said more study is needed for that site.

Councilmembers generally supported the concepts while asking staff to balance historic preservation, parking impacts and long‑term expansion needs. Staff said the next steps are community outreach, public open houses, drafting an RFP, and returning to council with design and cost recommendations. The council did not take formal action on the designs at this meeting.