Sept. 17 -- VENICE, FL -- The timeline for the replacement of Fire Station 1 on the island of Venice started earlier this month, when the city sought architects willing to take on the project.
As outlined in the request for proposals from prospective architects, the work includes designing a two-story, 11,000- to 13,000-square-foot, three-bay station with storage space, a lounge, sleeping quarters, a kitchen and a conference room that would be open for public meetings.
The current station, also known as Sarasota County Fire Station 51, is next to Venice City Hall at 401 W. Venice Ave. Built in 1974, it is an outdated single-story structure with mold issues and a leaky roof.
Currently, emergency vehicles exit directly onto Harbor Drive South and can either turn north or south on that road, or head directly east onto Miami Avenue.
Venice Fire Chief Shawn Carvey noted that the structure must be evacuated when wind speeds reach 45 mph — just above the 39 mph threshold for a tropical storm.
"Our idea is just to get it right, so it's not an issue 30 years down the road," he added. "That's our biggest thing."
The proposed two-story station would be hurricane-hardened and allow first responders to remain in place, unless the forecast calls for a significant storm surge.
A concept plan presented by Sweet Sparkman Architects to the Venice City Council in July located the new station on the property's southwest corner, near the intersection of Granada Avenue and Avenue des Parques.
That plan would allow for the current station to remain open while the new one is built.
Sweet Sparkman presented the plan as part of a feasibility study on whether the station could remain near its current location while City Hall is renovated and expanded as well.
The scope of work calls for redesigning the parking area for the entire City Hall campus, as well as expansion and renovation of City Hall, increased air chiller systems for both City Hall and the fire station, as well as a dual-service generator for both structures, and the paving of the Lord Higel House parking area, which is across Granada Avenue.
Some residents along Avenue des Parques have expressed concern about having emergency services vehicles leaving the station near their homes.
Carvey said it's possible that the vehicles may wind up returning from a call through an Avenue des Parques entrance, but dispatch from the station via Granada Avenue.
In July, Karl Bernhard, an architect with Sweet Sparkman Architects, showcased a concept with a projected $7.2 million cost — including about $4.24 million to build a new fire station.
The city is seeking one architect to design both jobs to save on costs, according to Venice City Manager Ed Lavallee.
That also makes it easier to merge functions, such as the chiller and emergency generator.
The City Council set aside $1 million in one-cent sales tax money this year and in the 2018-19 budget to help pay for the station.
Submissions from the architects are due by Oct. 5. If all goes smoothly, the council should be able to approve an architect before the end of December.
So far about $750,000 has been earmarked for design, leaving $1.25 million in capital.
Future one-cent sales tax allocations would likely be needed to pay for the station, unless alternative funding is identified.
___ (c)2018 Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fla. Visit Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fla. at www.heraldtribune.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
