The city has leased a 10,000-sf building at 1901 Milam from Claire Chamberlain and an adjacent parking lot at 815 Pierce, Block 406, owned by P. David Loftus. Mike O'Brien, the department's assistant director of facilities management, tells GlobeSt.com the city has spent $200,000 to repave the lot and build an aluminum building with two and three bays for two ambulances, two fire engines and a district chief's area.
The widely publicized loss of stations 1 and 8 had brought building renovation bids ranging between $120,000 and $175,000, says O'Brien. Too much money, he says. And, it's his job to know since he oversees renovations for about three fire stations per year. Thus, the department's construction team tackled the job, working seven days a week until the work was done.
O'Brien says the existing building had been primarily open space, with a small office. In the build-out, O'Brien's team had added quarters for the chiefs, captains, EMTs and firefighters. The work also had included a kitchen, lounge, locker room and shower.
O'Brien says he didn't mind losing station 1's three-story Bagby building, now being converted into a restaurant, because it is so old. Station 8 had to be relocated to make way for the new arena.
Jeff Peden, David Cook, Todd Mason, Howard Horne Sr. and Howard Horne Jr. of Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc. have handled the contract with Chamberlain. Peden, Cook and Mason have negotiated the pact with Loftus. According to O'Brien, both leases are three-year pacts with two one-year options.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.