City seeks contractor for fire station

Qualifications needed for design-build

Lorain is moving a step closer to getting a new fire station on the east side.

The city is seeking qualifications from a design-build contractor for the new station planned for the southeast corner of Missouri Avenue and Garfield Boulevard.

The request for qualifications is being advertised by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.

City documents included a description of the new facility.

“The living area of this structure will be a two-story wood framed structure with a residential aesthetic that will blend into the existing neighborhood,” the project description said. “The attached apparatus bay will be a pre-engineered metal building.”

The estimated project cost is $750,000.

The qualifications are due at noon May 7.

A tentative selection schedule is to create a list of firms by May 16.

Contractors would make their proposals by June 18, with interviews starting June 22.

Criteria for considering the firms range from proximity to the project site, to overall team qualifications and experience.

The design-build contractor would be selected in early July, with construction starting in July and finished by the end of the year.

Lorain fire Chief Matt

Homolya acknowledged the project has been in the planning stage for some time.

The existing east side firehouse, known as Station No. 4, is located at 401 Idaho Ave. It was built 99 years ago.

Voters in November 2016 said yes to a five-year, 1.7mill fire levy.

Last year, it raised more than $1.41 million to pay for two new fire stations, one on the east side and one to replace the west side Station

No. 7 at 2111 W. Park Drive.

The east-side project went on hold partly due to the leadership transition in the Lorain Fire Department.

Last year, Homolya was named successor to Chief Tom Brown, who retired.

Lorain also is planning the new west-side fire station.

Based on the size of the buildings and the amount of money involved, city officials want to figure out how to do the best job on budget, Homolya said.