A proposed expansion of Fire Station 1 would be located on the north side (toward the existing parking lot) and would involve a maximum of about 4,000 additional square feet per floor. (File Photo)

Marietta’s Fire Station 1 at the back of the City Hall building needs a lot more space than it currently has. The city has been exploring the station’s expansion, and details are beginning to fall into place.

The conceptual design and initial drawings from the architectural and engineering firm have been received. Fire Chief C.W. Durham is pleased with the plans and thinks a lot of the fire department’s goals for the project can be met.

Monday night, Assistant City Engineer Bob Heady told Marietta City Council’s Fire and Police Committee that his department is now working through how to handle parking details during construction. If the timetable goes as he would like, there could be construction started by next summer.

The sticking point is how to pay for it.

At the Nov. 29 session of council’s Fire and Police Committee, Durham reported that the estimated construction cost that came with the initial drawings is $2.7 million.

“We guessed $2.4 million, so we’re not really surprised,” he said.

He asked that the city put $1.3 million in American Rescue Plan Funds toward the project. The remainder, he said, could come from a 30-year loan paid from the fire department’s share of a .15% income tax increase passed by voters in 2018. The increase was specifically designated for fire departments and streets.

Finance Committee Chair Michael Scales said he thinks paying off loaned money with that source would put pressure on the purchase of needed fire equipment down the line, not to mention the costs of borrowing.

“We need bonds on the ballot in the spring,” he said at the Nov. 29 session. At the Monday night meeting he repeated the sentiment that council needs to further discuss the financing, and it needs to be done before the work starts.

As far as Heady’s input Monday, he explained that the project is now designed to take the entire parking lot behind City Hall for a materials staging area during construction. There are 57 existing parking spaces on the lot right now. Engineering Department Manager Tina Lones is working diligently to find piecemeal temporary rental parking spaces for building employees during construction, he said.

After construction, the new addition will leave that lot with 36 spaces. The city also owns property beyond the house at the north edge of the existing parking area.

That unused city lot will provide room for a new, additional parking lot that adds around 32 more spaces and has access to Third Street, he said.

The original City Hall and Fire Station 1 was a two-story brick structure with partial basement, built in 1936. A two-story addition was added to the north end of the building in 1971. That added a third fire truck bay and some upstairs renovations.

The building is in the 100-year flood plain and is also on the Ohio Historic Register. The city has indicated that it wants the exterior of the new building to closely resemble the existing adjacent building in construction and materials. LEED principles to address such issues as energy efficiency, water conservation and material selections will be used where feasible and cost effective.

The fire department is seeking an expansion that would include space on the first floor for oversized bays for fire boats and equipment and space on the second floor for living quarters, restrooms, storage, showers, living room, laundry and kitchen area.

The fire station project would have a couple of indirect benefits for the city, as well. The additional parking lot created on Third Street could be used after hours, evenings and weekends for downtown events and activities, Mayor Josh Schlicher pointed out. And, the package is going to include a generator that is sufficient to supply power to all of City Hall in case of an outage.

There will be a second part of the architecture and engineering proposal for detailed design, permitting, bidding and construction management. After that, Heady would like to see a timetable where there is a request for bid proposals in March, bids opened in May, and a construction start date set for July 1.