Construction bids to replace old Royal Palm Drive fire station will begin Monday
Plans to raze and rebuild the aging fire station on Royal Palm Drive will go out to bid next week, according to Costa Mesa officials, with construction expected to start early next year.
Bidding is scheduled to begin Monday for construction firms hoping to tackle the project, which entails demolishing the roughly 9,500-square-foot station at Royal Palm and Adams Avenue and replacing it with a larger, more modern facility.
Work can begin in earnest after the city awards a construction contract. The effort is expected to take 12 and 18 months to complete.
Built in 1961, the current station has become increasingly cramped and worn down, city officials say.
On top of that, city and fire officials have said various problems with the building’s structure and foundation have left it noncompliant with modern standards and building codes.
Due to the extent of the issues with the station, known as Fire Station No. 1, the City Council determined it would be more cost-effective to build something from scratch rather than repair or remodel the existing structure.
When completed, the new station will be almost 12,000 square feet and boast a larger fire apparatus bay.
It also will be equipped with living quarters, a kitchen, a dining room, administrative offices, a physical training room, an EMS training room, an emergency medical supply room and a mechanic shop area, according to the city.
The projected construction bill is about $8.4 million, according to city spokesman Tony Dodero, and the construction management cost is estimated at $600,000.
Cash to cover the project’s price will come out of the city’s general fund, Dodero said.
During construction, firefighters and equipment from the station will be housed in a temporary facility near Adams and Pinecreek Drive.
The interim site will include a modular housing trailer and a shelter for the station’s fire engines, along with additional containers for storage.
The city also will fence the temporary site, build a concrete access driveway and install utilities.
That project, which is expected to cost about $500,000, is expected be complete by the end of this year.
Twitter: @LukeMMoney
