Palm Beach approves additional design services for North Fire Station renovation
A request for $125,000 to cover additional design services for the renovation of the historic North Fire Station raised concern among Town Council members, who have been wary of the project's ballooning costs.
But after receiving assurances from the town staff that the request would be covered by the project's contingency and that no changes would be made to the overall budget, council members agreed to approve a change order for services provided by the Palm Beach-based architectural firm Bridges, Marsh & Associates.
Additional services from the project's design team were needed because the extent of the renovation was more than expected, Director of Public Works Paul Brazil told council members at their Jan. 9 regular meeting.
"We got this change order from them because we knew the project was going long, and their effort was more than they anticipated," Brazil said of Bridges Marsh. "We asked them to make sure to include anything that they would possibly need to the end of the project, and that they simply couldn't come back. We can accommodate this request within our contingency, so we're not asking for more money."
With council approval, Bridges Marsh now will address certain impacts to the original scope of the project.
They include: new solutions to address the deficient and nonconforming elements of the building; alternate design and construction solutions given existing "unexpected discrepancies" in the building elements; further, in-depth participation with consultants, contractors, and building officials to address current code-compliance and life-safety criteria; review and administer modifications, means, methods and impacts to project costs; and an extension of the original duration of the renovation work and services by the project architect and consultants.
Brazil noted that professional services provided by Bridges Marsh are not covered by the nearly $15 million construction contract awarded by the Town Council to the project's construction manager, West Palm Beach-based Hedrick Brothers Construction Co., in July.
The contract's total represents the final “guaranteed maximum price” for the project, which had an initial cost estimate of $5.5 million in 2021 when council members agreed to move up the renovation by two years because of water intrusion.
That figure now sits at $17 million, and incorporates costs for the architect, engineers and trailers to house the staff during construction.
Costs ballooned after a significant amount of deterioration was discovered in July 2022 at the nearly century-old, landmarked building at 300 N. County Road, necessitating extensive demolition work.
Brazil and Town Manager Kirk Blouin told council members they don't anticipate additional design services will be needed beyond what was recently requested by Bridges Marsh.
"The good news is they're just about ready to pour the floor slabs," Brazil said. "If you look at the building, it's starting to look like a building again. So the majority of the things that we have asked for more money, that work is really declining.
"I don't want to say we're out of the woods, but I believe the worst of that is over, all the unanticipated costs. From here on out, it is pretty easy to anticipate the level of effort."
Work on the North Fire Station project began in 2022 and will include a complete renovation of the landmarked structure, which was built in 1927.
Its condition deteriorated over the years, and roof leaks had been a longtime issue. Water intrusion caused by hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 led to mold, forcing the relocation of the staff until the building was remediated. An inspection in July 2021 uncovered additional water damage and mold intrusion.
"We discovered roof leaks in the process of inspecting the roof," Brazil told the council during a budget workshop that month. "We also had a company come in and check for any water damage. They did find evidence of some mold."
Tests revealed that the air quality inside the building remained good, but council members agreed to move up the building's renovation after deeming it a "top priority." The council allocated $1.5 million of a $2.7 million budget surplus for the work.
The North Fire Station is among the oldest operating fire stations in Florida. The building, which houses 11 fire-rescue and civilian personnel, was landmarked in 1988.
While the building is being renovated, North Fire Station personnel have been operating out of a temporary station beside the old one, near the intersection of North County and Wells roads. The temporary station was built by American Modular Systems of Manteca, California. It includes a dormitory trailer that can house up to six firefighters, and a bunker trailer that houses fire gear.
The town is targeting a completion date of late 2024.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach approves additional design services for North Fire Station redo
