Building for the next generation: Palatine setting the table for new fire headquarters
With the aid of American Rescue Plan Act dollars, Palatine is moving closer to its goal of remodeling its fire stations on Hicks Road and Colfax Avenue and relocating its fire administration headquarters by late 2024 or early 2025.
The village council on Monday agreed to pay Oak Brook-based FGM Architects up to $247,660 for handling work related to the design and construction of improvements at Station 82 at 1475 N. Hicks Road and Station 85 at 39 E. Colfax St.
The village will pay FGM with federal pandemic recovery funds. More than $3 million in rescue plan funds have been set aside for the project.
FGM initially was hired in February for more than $57,000 to provide architectural and engineering services, including a schematic design.
Bidding is expected in March, with completion expected by late 2024 or early 2025.
Under the plan, fire administration will be moving from Station 85 to Station 82, with a more than 4,000-square-foot addition to the latter for the new administrative offices.
Station 82 also will receive a roof and HVAC replacement and upgrades to its kitchen, lockers and dayroom areas.
The new headquarters at Station 82 will bring together all the top administrators - right now, the training officer is at Station 84 at 220 W. Illinois Ave. Records also will be migrating to Station 82, Fire Chief Patrick Gratzianna said.
"It's just going to be a much more modern and efficient operation," he said.
Gratzianna said Station 85, which was built in the 1950s, is in drastic need of plumbing improvements.
He said the current location of administration in Station 85 will be converted to a training and conference room, while the area for the two deputy chiefs and the office manager will be turned into a fitness room.
The old fitness area will provide room for an extra vehicle bay.
"We are starved for bay space," he said, adding having an air-conditioned fitness area is preferable to "working out next to the exhaust pipes."
Right now, the current headquarters at Station 85, while more "homey," also is far from state of the art.
When command staff meets with the chief, it means dragging in chairs and setting up card tables, he said. Also, office supplies are stored in an old shower room.
"The (shower) head is still there," Gratzianna said. "We're at that point to where we really want to build something for the next generation."