Rebuilding the Jacksonville Firehouse – Medford News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News

Jacksonville officials are almost ready to solicit bids to rebuild the city’s 1950s fire station after being shut down in the spring due to high material costs and a lack of subcontractors to perform the work.

A second floor will be added to the existing building and will be updated. The structure is not considered safe in the event of an earthquake.

Business Oregon awarded a $1.34 million grant in May 2020 for seismic reinforcements for the firehouse. Another $1 million is due to come from the city’s Urban Renewal Agency. Initial plans announced last year had expected work to begin in March and be completed by February 2022.

“When we started looking at the numbers, the materials first and foremost were very high. So the subcontractors were very busy,” City Manager Jeff Alves said. “I think a lot of that is partly due to the pandemic.”

The remodeling business plans, prepared by ZCS Architecture & Engineering, were approved, but with attached terms. These terms must be incorporated into the plans before bid requests are sent to subcontractors.

“We had to change a few things. We hope to be ready to start (bidding) within the next two weeks,” Alves said.

If the bids are successful, Fire Department Chief Wayne Pinter said, temporary workplaces for the fire department are already in the city’s Public Works Square.

A modular unit has been moved to the site to serve as quarters for fire crews and all utilities have already been connected. A building on the public works site that will house the fire engines has been upgraded with electrical services and rock rigs installed.

“Crews and equipment are still occupied by the fire hall, which has a number of holes created for site and structure testing purposes,” Pinter said.

Ground-penetrating radar was brought in to determine if there were any old mine shafts under the building. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, a number of mine shafts were erected throughout the city as residents dug in backyards and tunneled outside in search of gold. In the following decades, the streets and property of the city opened holes due to columns.

Pinter said an archaeologist was present when boring tests were conducted in the firehouse because the site is considered a historic district. He said no hazardous materials requiring dilution were detected during the process.

Besides examining the ground, holes were drilled in the station block walls to determine if iron or concrete material was present. The rules were also checked.

“All this investigation was to determine how it all came together. I was very impressed with how comprehensive it was,” said Pinter. The structure is located on C Street between North and Fourth Street. The existing brick and stone exterior will be preserved.

Matthew Crawford, ZCS Architectural Designer, said S&B James Construction has already been selected as a general contractor in a competitive bidding process under a construction manager/general contractor arrangement.

Crawford said the process differs from traditional bidding methods with a general contractor brought in during the design phase. S&B James is operating under a pre-construction agreement, and adjustments will be made to cover additional works if the city accepts bids from subcontractors.

“During the design phase, they are involved in preparing construction documents to help get a cheaper and more efficient rate for the city,” Crawford said. This process is used for further projects related to different components, such as seismic reinforcement works required for rebuilding.

Bids will be requested for electrical, plumbing, framing and other works. This will include the installation of piles to provide increased seismic support to the structure.

“It’s a project we have so little time for,” Alves said. He said the deadline for using state funds has expired a year, but an extension could be sought and such a request could be based on epidemiological implications.

Once the reconfiguration is complete, the station will become the designated emergency operations center for the city. New City Hall currently holds this role.

The draftsman applies for a grant that will finance the purchase of a generator for the center so that it has power at all times during an emergency. The remodeled building will be wired to install a generator.

You can reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at [email protected].

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