CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston City Council members voted Monday evening to authorize the Mayor or City Manager to enter a contract with the Thrasher Group, Inc. to go through with phase two of a renovation project for the eight stations the Charleston Fire Department owns.
This phase includes design work and a potential full replacement of stations six and seven. Station six is located in Kanawha City while Station seven is located on Cora Street.
Charleston City Manager Benjamin Mishoe says the phase will see a full replacement of station seven before moving on to station six. “The plan is, with this phase, that it will include the renovations for (stations) one, two, three, four, and five and eight, with seven and six included in the space will be sort of schematic design, special needs for an anticipated full replacement of seven,” Mishoe said Monday evening. “The plan also is that station six in Kanawha City would follow shortly after station seven with the intention being that whatever designs they worked up for station seven will be able to be also utilized, or at least very similar to what we end up doing at station six.”
Phase one of the renovation process for the eight stations was also done by Thrasher Group, Inc. to assess each of the stations before the group could give the city a proposal moving forward and start talks on prices that would be attached.
Mishoe says the design work should be done in a quick manner.
“Within the next few months, we’re anticipating having the design work done,” Mishoe said. “This will include bid-ready specs. The actual construction of the repairs is going to need to be bid out for contractors.”
Mishoe also says the first set of repairs will be done to the roofs of stations one and eight.
“You’re going to see some of this work done quickly. Stations one and eight, for example, both need roofs replaced, I think you’re going to see that go out for bid very quickly,” Mishoe said. “The other stuff, just throughout the coming year, I would think, is fair to say, depending on the severity or the level of improvement at each station is needed.”
The cost of phase two of the renovations are projected to cost between $2-3 million, not including the replacement of stations six and seven.