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City sees updated designs and early $17M estimate for new central fire station
Summary
Architects presented 50% design renderings for Bedford’s new central fire station — a roughly 25,000-square-foot facility with expanded apparatus bays, training and fitness spaces — and said a July schematic estimate was just under $17 million; staff said a January cost update will refine that number.
Architect Jim Tharpe of William Tharpe Architects presented 50% design drawings on Dec. 9 for Bedford’s planned new central fire station, outlining a multi-level building with larger apparatus bays, fitness and rehabilitation areas shared with the police department, multiple bunk rooms and training spaces.
The presentation said the new station’s footprint was calculated at about 24,992 square feet, compared with roughly 14,000 square feet at the existing central station. Tharpe said the design team has completed 50% of design development and expects 100% design development in January, when the city will receive a more detailed cost estimate and the project will move into construction documents.
City staff and the architect described exterior materials intended to tie the new station to the adjacent law enforcement center: two colors of brick, cast-stone bands and Nichiha fiber-cement panels that can resemble wood. The design also includes a covered apparatus pull-through under a second level, separate training-room access for outside departments, outdoor fitness areas and decontamination and gear-storage workflows for gear cleaning.
On cost, Tharpe said a July schematic-level estimate came back “right at” about $17 million. City staff and the architect told council that estimate included contingencies typical for early-stage work and that the next estimate, due in January when 100% DDs are complete, will include full mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) details and should narrow the range. City Manager Andrea Roy said the city had previously allocated about $15–16 million for the project and that staff will identify adjustments if the January estimate exceeds that allocation.
Council members asked about operational and design details. Tharpe said the plan provides about 11 bunk rooms (with one emergency extra bunk), expanded administrative space and a larger apparatus bay to accommodate existing ladder trucks and standard maneuvering. Council asked about exterior materials and whether the modern design would “fit” the law enforcement center; Tharpe and staff said they selected materials to create a dialogue between the buildings rather than make them identical.
On schedule, Tharpe said the team expects 100% DDs by January and, if the project stays on schedule, a target completion date around May 8 of the following year, noting the schedule depends on final estimates and procurement.
The council did not take action on the station design at the meeting; staff said they plan to return with cost updates and procurement steps after the January estimate.
