City moving forward on fire station, service complex

The city of Lorain will move forward with plans for a new east side fire station and a new municipal service complex.

Lorain City Council approved the legislation Dec. 17.

There was relatively little discussion, but the board and city staff set out details in earlier committee meetings this fall.

Service complex

Council approved two items to begin the process for creating a new service complex at 2130 W. Park Drive.

The new facility will replace the city’s current garage, which is a collection of ramshackle buildings at 114 E. 35th St.

The legislation included an agreement for the city to hire a design-build contractor to erect the new structure.

Public Property Manager Lori Garcia said she will meet Dec. 19 with consulting architect Ronald Cocco of Clark & Post Architects Inc.

Cocco has compiled information needed for the city to request qualifications from a design and construction company, Garcia said.

Based on the city action, the project could be advertised for contractors at the start of 2019.

If all goes well, construction should start next year, Garcia said.

The city service staff are happy the change is coming, she said.

“They’re ecstatic,” Garcia said. “To be able to get out of these working conditions, yeah.”

The project is estimated to cost up to $9 million, with the city borrowing money to pay for it.

Council voted to begin the process of borrowing $3 million, which will be part of a financing package with another $6 million borrowed next year.

Once the project goes out to bid, the city will have a more firm price on the building.

Garcia said in early 2019, she anticipates sitting down with Mayor Chase Ritenauer and Auditor Karen Shawver to finish details on how the city will pay for the complex.

It may be possible for the costs to come in below the estimates, she said.

Fire stations

Lorain is planning two new fire stations to replace Station No. 4, 401 Idaho Ave. on the east side, and Station No. 7, 2111 W. Park Drive on the west side.

The east side station is planned at the corner of Missouri and Garfield avenues.

The city will spend about $790,000 on a new 4,225-square-foot station, with a single bay for a truck and living quarters for the crew.

The plan is to hire contractor STAR Design-Build Contractors for a designbuild program for the east side fire station.

With the Council approval, the Fire Department and city staff will consult with STAR Builders to review designs, draft actual blueprints and eventually begin construction, said fire Chief Matt Homolya.

An exact date for groundbreaking has not been scheduled yet, Homolya said.

In November 2016, Lorain voters said yes to ballot Issue 5, the 1.7-mill additional levy for fire services.

On Nov. 26, Council’s Finance and Claims Committee spent about 90 minutes debating how the city can build two new fire stations with the fire levy.

The city has borrowed $1.5 million for the new stations.

Ritenauer said it will be tough to pay for the new buildings with the levy money.

The east side plans had the endorsement of Councilwoman Beth Henley, who represents Ward 1, the site of the new station.

Henley and all of Council generally agreed they do not want Lorain to build new fire stations, but not have enough firefighters to staff the new buildings.