Fire Station 3 Renovation Awarded to HCI Commercial
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
In addition to moving its Central Fire Station, Bedford is planning to renovate its other two fire stations, 2 and 3. Tuesday night, City Council awarded the $435,000 construction contract for Fire Station 3 to HCI Commercial LLC.
The renovation of Bedford’s Fire Station 3 has been awarded to HCI Commercial LLC. Out of seven bidders, HCI, which recently completed the renovation of the new Senior Activity Center, was assigned the $435,000 contract with the unanimous (6-0) approval Tuesday by City Council. Council member Gagliardi was absent.
The 24-year-old Fire Station 3, the agenda stated, “is in desperate need of interior renovations and expansion to meet current and future needs of the Fire Department.” The objective of the project, according to the agenda, is to “extend” the life of the fire station by five to seven years by “providing a facelift” to include “individual private bedrooms” and a new kitchen.
It is a “stopgap measure,” until a new station can be built with a new restroom, showers and kitchen, as explained by Deputy Fire Chief Joey Lankford, who presented the project to the Council.
As detailed in the presentation, the station renovation should begin shortly after New Year’s and take about three months to complete.
A total of $708,784 has been designated for the Fire Station 3 project, which is located at Bedford Road and Somerset Terrace. The balance of the total for the project includes $35,800 in architect fees, $135,484 to provide temporary housing in onsite five-bedroom mobile home for the fire fighters, $38,000 to cover any cost overruns and $59,000 for furniture, fixtures, appliances, IT equipment and other items.
The funds for the renovation of Fire Station 3 are part of a $22 million capital improvements bond package that was approved in May of this year, which included $4 million for the renovation and expansion of Fire Stations 2 and 3.
Bedford’s Fire Station 3 “is in desperate need of interior renovations and expansion to meet current and future needs of the Fire Department.” Photo courtesy of Google Streetview.
Since this project is expected to come in under budget, explained Assistant City manager Caryn Riggs, any left over funds can be transferred to other projects. Those other projects, as described by the meeting agenda, might include the construction of a new Central Fire Station.
Moving the Central Fire Station
Last month City Council appeared to give its approval for city staff to proceed with developing plans to construct a new building to house the Central Fire Station adjacent to the Law Enforcement Center.
According to a press statement from the City, a new central fire facility is needed “for improved functionality” and to comply with “modern fire station standards.” This is a “unique opportunity,” the statement said, “to relocate the station and allow the current building and property [it sits on] to be repurposed to help maximize the future potential of the Bedford Commons development.“
The new Central Fire Station, according to Jim Tharp, of Oxley Williams Tharp Architects, would be about 25,000 square feet versus the current station, which is approximately 14,200 square feet, and would take about eight to nine months to plan before breaking ground. The new facility, he detailed, would include two levels of living accommodations for male and female firefighters, a kitchen, dining area, offices, meeting rooms and four drive-through bays for fire engines, medic units and the battalion chief’s vehicle. Tharp added that there would also be an effort to increase storage space.
Renovating Fire Station 2
The design phase for the renovation of Fire Station 2 “should be completed by the end of March,” according to Bedford Communications Direct Molly Fox. By May, she said, the City anticipates assigning a contract for the work, which should be completed and ready for move-in toward late 2025 or early 2026.
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