Mount Prospect spending $1.7 million to rehab Elk Grove Township fire station

Mount Prospect will spend more than $1.7 million to remodel the former Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District station for use by village firefighters.

Funding for the work will come from the village’s capital budget and interest earned on general operations funds. The village board is expected to approve the spending on Tuesday.

However, officials said, the estimated price tag does not include village labor costs for public works employees who will be working on the project.

The Mount Prospect Fire Department expects to have the building at 1415 E. Algonquin Road staffed in July. The move comes as the department has begun providing fire protection and emergency services to the area previously served by the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District, which ceased operations in October.

Fire Chief John Dolan said at Tuesday’s village board meeting that the station, which has had two additions since it was built in 1982, has “good bones” but not a layout conducive to today’s needs.

Village staff initially considered hiring Mount Prospect-based construction management firm Nicholas & Associates to lead the project. But concerned that it would could cost as much as $2.7 million, officials opted instead to use public works employees and contractors.

Nicholas will still receive $120,000 for producing initial plans used in determining an estimated cost.

Public Works Director Sean Dorsey said the final cost estimate, developed by Buildings Foreman Paul Fahey and fire department Battalion Chief Todd Novak, did not include in-house labor costs.

This prompted village Trustee Augie Filippone to comment that “between them,” Fahey’s and Novak’s 2022 salaries “were about $310,000 base.”

“Are we accounting for the hours and the time and what that value is, so that we can determine going forward what the true cost would be?” he asked.

“We’re tracking all of our direct labor costs on this project,” Dorsey replied.