Dec 30th 2021 | Posted in Mary Scott Nabers' Insights, Opportunities by Mary Scott Nabers

Firefighters are heroes in our communities, and public safety is top of mind for first responders and citizens as well. Now, for the first time in many years, local governments have new funding for public safety facilities. Hundreds of projects for new or significantly upgraded and modernized fire stations are either in planning phases or on launch pads throughout the country.

In the city of Boise, two different fire station projects are planned—and both efforts are designed for private-sector development partners. The first project involves rebuilding Boise’s oldest operating facility – Fire Station No. 5. The city’s fiscal budget for 2022 authorizes $2 million for planning and design work, and a contract for the construction phase will follow. The total project, including planning and design, carries an anticipated cost of $12.5 million.

Boise’s Planning and Development committee also has a critical need for a new fire station to service the city’s northwestern region. Funding for this facility is estimated at $8.8 million, with an initial $1.5 million for planning and design. This project is slated for a completion date in 2024.

Similar planning is underway in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The city’s Fire District Building Committee recently approved a building needs plan that includes construction of a new fire station in the downtown area. A cost estimate of $16 million has been made, and the city is about to enter the architectural and engineering design stage. Construction solicitations will be put out to bidders with a goal of completing the project in early 2023.

The city of Wheeling, West Virginia, recently submitted a budget for capital projects that are set to launch between 2022 and 2026. Included in the plan is a new Wheeling Fire Department headquarters with an estimated price tag of $6.4 million. The city plans to open bidding for the construction phase of the new headquarters in March 2022.

Citizens in McCordsville, Indiana, also are about to get a new fire station The Vernon Township Fire Department secured $7.1 million in funding from bonds. The project has reached the design phase, and construction is planned for 2022. Officials anticipate that an operational fire station will be completed by 2023.

Voters in Clinton, Maine, also approved funding for a new fire station. The city spent $120,000 on a site, and the public safety building committee is preparing to launch the design phase of the construction project. Over the next few months, the city has plans to demolish an existing structure on the property.

A $295,000 feasibility study related to the replacement of an outdated fire station was recently completed in Mountain Brook, Alabama. The study confirmed that Mountain Brook Fire Department’s Fire Station No. 2 is significantly outdated and should be rebuilt or modernized. The city will use findings from the study to begin the design phase for the project. Construction bid documents will be issued when the design work has been completed.

In New Mexico, the city of Las Cruces has outlined its vision for a fire station improvement project in its capital improvement plan. The city’s budget has allocated $467,000 for a variety of improvements to its Fire Station No. 5. Work is slated to begin in 2022.

The city of Alexandria, Virginia, recently used $140 million in bond financing to purchase land that will be used for a new development where a new fire station is planned. Now that the property has been purchased, city and project developers will begin design work for individual buildings within the development, including the design of a new fire station.

Design and engineering work for a fire station will soon be underway in Davenport, Iowa. This will be the city’s newest fire station, and funding will come from general obligation bonds. Though the source of funding is established, the Davenport City Council has not yet assigned an estimated cost for this large project.

The city of San Diego was awarded a $3.5 million federal grant to support a new fire station that will be near Camp Pendleton. Construction costs have been estimated at $18 million. Work should start in late February 2022 and will require about 18 months to complete. This project is on a fast track, and construction will be underway in early 2022.

City officials in Springfield, Missouri, have plans to spend $10 million on four different fire stations. Two of the four stations will be new construction projects with planned starts in 2022. Other upgrades and modernization projects will be announced soon for the other stations.

Fire station projects will surely offer an abundance of opportunities for architectural, engineering, and construction firms, but the projects also will hold great potential for private-sector firms that provide equipment, technology, security, and furnishings.

As President and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., Mary Scott Nabers has decades of experience working in the public-private sector. A well-recognized expert in the P3 and government contracting fields, she is often asked to share her industry insights with top publications and through professional speaking engagements.