Chula Vista is getting two new fire stations. In 2021.
The City Council last week unanimously approved paying $16.6 million to a construction firm to replace Fire Stations 5 and 9. Both stations are in western Chula Vista.
The existing stations were built more than 60 years ago and have become outdated, according to the fire department.
They've had their fair share of problems with mold, asbestos, leaky roofs, sewage clogs, rodents and termites. The stations' open-dorm layout means that firefighters, male and female, have little to no privacy.
Additionally, their limited garage space means firefighters in Fire Station 9 cannot use the city's newest fire engines because they are too big, said Capt. Linda D'Orsi, from the Chula Vista Fire Department's office of communications.
"It just came down to a point of do we want to keep throwing money at the problem or do we raze it and rebuild it," she said.
Chula Vista selected the construction firm EC Constructors Inc. after a formal request for proposals process, also known as an RFP.
Money for construction will come from the Measure P sales tax increase, which voters approved in 2016 to fund infrastructure projects.
Fire Station 5 is currently at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Oxford Street. It will move to 114 Moss St. It is expected to open February 2021.
Fire Station 9 is at Melrose Avenue and East Oneida Street. It will move to 341 Orange Ave., which is behind the South Chula Vista Library. That station is expected to open April 2021.
Relocating the fire stations should also improve response times, D'Orsi added.
That's because the fire department ran an internal analysis to determine the most optimal locations for new fire stations.
"It's going to help improve our response times overall, not just in those districts, but in the neighboring districts," she said.
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