Port Huron officials break ground for new central fire station at White Park
Port Huron city officials and former Port Huron fire chiefs donned white hats and sunk shovels into the ground Thursday afternoon at White Park. Those shovelfuls of dirt — which are the result of several years of planning — signal the start of construction for a new fire station that will bring the city's fire facilities into the modern era.
The new central station will replace the fire department's current main station, located at 515 River St. City officials have said the station, which was built in 1960, is not cost-effective to repair, as the foundation is sinking into the Black River and would need major structural repairs and facility updates to comply with modern-day industry standards.
Port Huron Fire Chief Corey Nicholson called the project the largest infrastructure investment in the fire department's history. The station will allow the department to function as a modern emergency services agency and provide reasonable response times for calls for service.
"The station will open in the heart of Port Huron and serve one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city for decades to come," Nicholson said.
How much does the project cost?
The total budget for the project is estimated to be more than $10.36 million, down about $500,000 from earlier estimates. Nicholson said the project is expected to be under budget, with guaranteed maximum price for hard construction costs currently being calculated.
Bid package one — which involved earthwork and site preparation — was awarded to the Dailey Company, the city's construction management firm. A second bid package for the rest of the project was also closed with the Dailey Company on Dec. 2, Nicholson said.
Both bid packages were being reviewed and were in the process of being awarded to the company, Nicholson said Wednesday.
Nicholson said he anticipates a construction timeline of one to two years, with the station in service by March 2024.
What will the new fire station look like?
The 18,915-square-foot fire station building will have a host of locker and dorm rooms, offices, and training areas. The building will also contain eight combined locker and dorm rooms with four bathrooms for on-duty firefighters, as well as decontamination areas, equipment lockers, storage, a lobby, multiple offices and a large training room.
The footprint also includes a public parking lot with an entrance off White with roughly 40 parking spots, an emergency entrance off Chestnut and an exit off 10th with a six-vehicle apparatus bay.
The new station is part of the city's wider effort to address its aging fire facilities.
Renovations are also underway at Station 3, located at 1914 Sanborn St. The renovations bring the station up to industry standards, including adding rooms, dorms and locker rooms to allow firefighters to immediately undress and shower to remove any potential contaminants and carcinogens they may have picked up at a fire, Nicholson has said.
The $1.5 million project also includes basic facility updates, such as all new windows and converting from boiler heat to gas-forced air.
Nicholson said that project is expected to be completed the week before Christmas.
Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or lfitzgeral@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Groundbreaking for new Port Huron fire station held at White Park
