Steve Lord
Beacon-News (Aurora, Ill.)
(TNS)
The Aurora City Council has voted to hire a construction manager for the building of three new fire stations in the city.
Aldermen on Aug. 27 approved a contract with Leopardo Construction, Inc. of about $3.9 million which will cover construction of new fire stations 4, 9 and 13.
City staff recommended the Hoffman Estates-based Leopardo although the company was initially not the highest-scoring of the firms that applied for the contract.
The company was chosen as one of three finalists after nine companies answered requests for proposals from the city. But it scored third of the final three – about 100 points lower than the second – and was chosen because city officials said they did much better than the other two finalists in the interview process.
Fire Station 4 will be the new Aurora Fire Department headquarters, and will be built on property next to the Aurora Police Department on Indian Trail just east of Farnsworth Avenue. Emergency Management operations also will be moved there, creating a public safety campus.
The current Fire Station 4, 800 Michels Ave., needs more than $500,000 in maintenance work during the next five years to remain operational, fire officials have said.
A study from several years ago that looked at the ideal placement of fire stations throughout the city showed the best spot for Fire Station 4 was just northeast of where the new location is planned.
That study also prompted plans to move other stations, such as Fire Station 9, on Diehl Road. It will go in a new building planned along Eola Road near Liberty Street.
Fire Station 13 will be a new one at Bilter Road and Nan Street, north of Interstate 88.
According to fire officials, the goal in moving and constructing new stations is to get response times below six minutes for regular fire responses and four minutes for emergency medical responses.
As construction manager, Leopardo will work with two different architects, as well as whatever construction companies are chosen for the project when they are bid.
FGM Architects, of Chicago, has been chosen to design Stations 9 and 13, and Cordogan Clark, of Aurora, is designing Fire Station 4.
The projects all have to bid yet, so the final construction costs and the construction companies are unknown.
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