By Richard Dyer
Twitter: @RHDyer

Perlman Architects of Arizona has been awarded $362,839.92 in contracts to design two fire stations for the Town of Queen Creek --- reusing its Queen Creek Fire Station No. 4 design.

The contracts were approved in a recent Town Council consent agenda. Fire Station No. 4 is being constructed at Signal Butte and Queen Creek roads and is expected to open this fall.

[Related link: Queen Creek breaks ground on new fire station.]

The new designs are for the upgrade of Fire Station No. 2 at 24787 S. Sossaman Road and to add a fire station at 245 W. Combs Road in the southeast part of Queen Creek to accommodate growth in the area, Fire Chief Vance Gray and Public Works Director Troy White said in a memo to the elected body.

The anticipated costs to design and construct the fire stations are under development, but are estimated at $8,778,500 for Fire Station No. 2 and $9,395,500 for Fire Station No. 5, it states.

Fire Station No. 2 has been operating out of a temporary modular building at 24787 S. Sossaman Road since 2008.

“When this fire station first became operational the intent has always been to replace the temporary building with permanent facilities; however, the economic downturn in 2008 caused delays to the planned replacement of this facility,” Chief Gray and Mr. White said in the memo.

A temporary Fire Station No. 5 became operational at 980 W. Combs Road effective March 2019 with the goal of providing emergency services to the eastern side of Queen Creek.

“Prior to the temporary Fire Station No. 5 being activated there was no fire station servicing the east side of town,” according to the memo.

“Due to current growth, including annexations, this project is expected to be accelerated and may be included in fiscal year 2020-21 budget development process for the design and construction of the permanent fire station,” it states.

Using Fire Station No. 4 design

Building design for Fire Station No. 2 on 3 acres is to be a straight re-use of the Queen Creek Fire Station No. 4 design, completed under previous contract with Perlman Architects of Arizona Inc., except for modification of a heat-pump system to standard split system as modified at Fire Station No. 4, according to a scope of services and fee proposal from the company.

Building design for Fire Station No. 5 is to be a “mirrored” version of the Queen Creek Fire Station No. 4 design, except for modification of the heat-pump system to a standard split system as modified at Fire Station No. 4, it states.

Project requirements for both fire stations include:

• 13,353 square feet of conditioned area plus 988 square feet of unconditioned covered entries and patios.
• Three apparatus bays, 10 dorms, four staff bathrooms, an expanded police office area and briefing room, public lobby/restroom(s), dining, kitchen, day room firefighter’s office, two captain offices, laundry, EMS storage, workshop, a turn-out room, decontamination room, fitness room, storage rooms and general building support areas such as janitor, IT, electrical, mechanical and fire riser rooms.
• Exterior covered patio/courtyard and covered entries.
• Exterior architectural style shall be the same as the previously designed Fire Station No. 4.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

rdyer@iniusa.org

Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia, Inc.. USA, since 1987. Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. He also is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows