A B.C.-based architecture and design firm and a Prince George engineering company have been selected by the City of Prince George to design a new firehall to replace and relocate Fire Hall #1 to a new, more centralized location on Massey Drive.
The city has selected the architectural design team lead by HCMA Architects and Planning of Vancouver and the engineering design team led by L&M Engineering of Prince George to design the replacement Fire Hall #1 at the new location in Carrie Jane Gray Park. The contract is for $1.1 million.
In a referendum last fall, voters approved borrowing up $15 million for the new firehall. The referendum passed easily with 82.79 per cent voting yes (6,520 yes to 1,355 no).
HCMA has extensive experience in wood architecture and fire hall construction, having designed the recently constructed Richmond Brighouse Fire Hall #1 and Vancouver Fire Hall #17 – the first passive house fire hall in B.C. In Prince George, the company designed the bioenergy plant at UNBC and they are also working on a new design for Kelly Road High School. L&M Engineering is an experienced civil engineering consultant, which has worked on many civic facilities and designs for the city and the school district.
“The new fire hall will house modern firefighting equipment and improve response times to a greater area of the City. It would also ensure that Prince George is better positioned to respond to emergencies and provide enhanced fire dispatch services to a large portion of northern B.C.,” said Fire Chief John Iverson in a press release. “The new Fire Hall #1 will also be 50 per cent larger than the current facility and have the capacity to house a functional and well-designed Emergency Operations Centre and Fire Operations Communications Centre.”
The design will be developed through 2018 and the city will host a public information session later in the fall to provide information to residents.
Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2019 and extend through most of 2020.
