BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TAKES STEPS WITH NEW FIRE STATION
the city council on Thursday the process used to
select a firm to perform design and engineering for
a planned second fire station.
Progress is being made toward a second fire station in Brenham.
On Thursday, the Brenham City Council awarded a request for qualifications (RFQ) to Brown Reynolds and Watford Architects (BRW) out of College Station for professional design and engineering services for the fire station. It also authorized the publication of notice of intention to issue certificates of obligation (COs) not to exceed $10 million, including $8 million to build, equip and furnish the fire station and $2 million for in-house street construction/rebuild projects.
Brenham Fire Chief Roger Williams said out of 11 firms that submitted RFQs, BRW was chosen based on its qualifications, proficiency and scope of work with fire stations and fire training facilities.
The property for the fire station is at the intersection of James Nutt Boulevard and Handley Street, in the Brenham Business Center. Williams said the fire station, projected to be around 10,000 square feet, will have three drive-thru bays for fire engines. No new apparatus will be needed for the station, but the fire department will need nine new firefighters to man it over a three-year period.
At a workshop meeting in August, the cost estimate to build the station was $6.5 million. When asked why the projected cost is now $8 million, Williams said the continued fallout from COVID-19 in causing “exponentially” higher material costs was the main reason for the increase. He said the department will try to get the most it can for the least it has to spend so that more of the CO funding can be used for road work.
Following all required publication of the notice of intent to issue the COs, Specialized Public Finance Inc. will handle securing pricing, and the council will award COs to underwriters on June 15th. The first bond payment would be due on August 15th.
Williams said the entire project, including design, getting a cost analysis, securing bids for construction and building the station, is anticipated to take two years to complete.