Bangor council awards fire station contract

BANGOR – Firefighters and emergency medical personnel working out of Station 6 at the corner of Griffin Road and Kenduskeag Avenue likely will have a new home by end of the year.

City councilors Monday night awarded a contract for the design and construction of the new firehouse, which will replace a more than 20-year-old structure that has a number of deficiencies. Its roof leaks, it lacks adequate space for the city’s aerial truck, is poorly insulated and ventilated, has ineffective office space and an aging boiler.

Though at least one woman is assigned to it, the station has only one restroom, and no separate sleeping quarters, Capt. Tom Higgins, who works out of Station 6, said Monday night.

Under the contract, the construction work will be handled by the firm Bar & Bar, which has completed a number of projects in Maine, and the design work will be done by the Bangor firm Ames A/E Architects & Engineers.

The winning team was among seven that responded to the city’s request for statement of qualifications, according to Finance Director Debbie Cyr.

Though the council authorized the issuance of up to $1.5 million in general obligation notes to pay for the new station nearly three years ago, the cost might be higher because of the dramatic increase in the cost of construction materials since then, Cyr said.

The actual cost won’t be known until the project is further along in the design process, city officials noted Monday night.

The project represents some firsts for Bangor, Cyr said during a finance committee meeting that preceded Monday night’s regular council meeting.

It is the first project in which the city issued a single contract for design and building services – and it’s the first one that will be designed and built according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards.

LEED requires the city and its architects, designers and construction firms to integrate environmental design and energy efficiency into projects from the beginning.

The idea is to reduce energy use and operating costs through longer-lived, environmentally friendly structures that are healthful places to work and visit.

One of three fire stations in Bangor, Station 6 has the largest coverage area, according to the station’s Web site.

Its service area encompasses the northern part of the city, which includes Bangor International Airport, two shopping malls, several elderly housing developments and five mobile home parks.