After two years of construction and a significant financial investment on the part of the city, the North Fire Station is still on schedule and is scheduled to celebrate its opening in late autumn.
The $17 million project includes a complete renovation of the nearly century-old landmark building at 300 N. County Road.
Work began in July 2022, about a year after a routine inspection discovered water damage and mold.
Construction remains on schedule and is expected to be completed by the end of the year, Jason Debrincat, deputy director of the city’s public works department and project engineer for the fire station renovation, told the Daily News.
“The construction schedule for the renovation remains unchanged,” he said.
Here you can find out more about the renovation project at the North Fire Station:
Why was renovation necessary?
The condition of the North Fire Station, which was built in 1927 and is one of the oldest operating fire stations in Florida, had deteriorated over the years.
Roof leaks have long been a problem, and water intrusions from hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 necessitated the temporary relocation of staff after mold was discovered. An inspection in July 2021 found additional water damage and mold.
“When we inspected the roof, we found leaks,” Paul Brazil, the building department’s director, told the city council during a budget workshop this month. “We also had a company come out and look for water damage. They actually found signs of mold.”
Tests showed that air quality in the building remained good, but council members agreed to bring forward renovations to the building by several years after deeming them a “top priority.” The council allocated $1.5 million of a $2.7 million budget surplus for the work.
“The fire station is my number one priority,” said Council Member Julie Araskog during the budget workshop. “It’s urgent. It needs to be done as soon as possible.”
Why have the costs of the project increased so much?
The main cost drivers for the renovation of the fire station were structural damage.
In July 2022, significant damage was discovered when work began on the project and the Planning Department concluded that it would be unsafe to continue construction without additional demolition, Wayne Bergman, the city’s director of planning, zoning and construction, told the City Council in August 2023.
The fire station’s design team, led by Mark Marsh of Palm Beach-based Bridges Marsh, did not anticipate such extensive demolition when the Historic Preservation Commission approved the work, Bergman said.
The extent of the demolition work “was not initially anticipated by either the city or Mr. Marsh when the project received approval to rehabilitate, repair and replace the windows in July of last year,” Bergman said.
Marsh told employees that the tower and roof were unsafe and that the contractor could not safely work on the building because the roof and other structural components were severely damaged, Bergman said.
In addition, it was found that the building’s wood was infested with termites, there were stress cracks in the walls, corroded steel beams and sagging rafters, and there were signs of spalling in the concrete columns throughout the building.
“If a halfway decent hurricane came through here, it would blow the roof off,” David Carmo, the project’s structural engineer, told council members.
The original cost estimate for the project was $5.5 million, but that amount nearly tripled until council members approved a $14.8 million construction-related services contract with Hedrick Brothers Construction last summer and set a project budget of $15.9 million.
The total estimated cost of the project remains at $17 million, including the costs of the architect, engineers and trailers to house staff during construction.
Where will the fire department employees live during the construction period?
While the building is being renovated, North Fire Station personnel are working from a temporary station adjacent to the old one, near the intersection of North County and Wells Roads.
The temporary station was built by American Modular Systems of Manteca, California, and includes a trailer that can accommodate up to six firefighters and a bunker trailer that houses firefighting equipment.
The city paid $534,000 for the trailer and bunker, as well as general temporary site changes.
Once the move to the new building is complete, the temporary trailer, shade structure, traffic barriers and bunker storage shed will either be repurposed in the city or sold, Debrincat said.
The temporary station serves the same response zone as the old one – from north of Royal Poinciana Way to Palm Beach Inlet.
What are the teams currently working on and what still needs to be completed?
On the outside of the building, workers are busy installing roofing materials, restoring masonry and stucco, and doing painting work.
Inside, structural improvements have been completed and the installation of machinery, electrical systems and plumbing “continues to make good progress,” said Debrincat.
After the acceptance of the individual trades, the interior work begins.
What do city officials say about the renovation?
Mayor Danielle Moore and Council Member Ted Cooney had the opportunity to tour the construction site and both were impressed with the progress made.
“Many of us have been in and out of town, but I encourage you to take the opportunity to walk through the facility,” Cooney told council members during their Aug. 13 meeting. “It’s moving along quickly.”
“It’s going to be absolutely fantastic,” added Moore. “Our firefighters and rescue workers need this. When you see the quality of the other fire stations, not the newer ones, you can see that we were really way below standard. Big kudos to the team.”
Jodie Wagner is a reporter with the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. Reach her at [email protected].
