Though it will run about $2 million more than what city officials originally anticipated due to rising costs, 58-year-old Station 46 at the north end of Mandalay Park in Clearwater Beach (FL) is set to receive an $8.3 million upgrade, reports tbnweekly.com.
And since Clearwater contracts with Pinellas County for service, about 11% of project cost will be reimbursed by the latter, the report says.
The new, 11,000-square-foot station will include several sustainability features, such as a solar array, rain garden, reflective roof, bird-safe glass, and an emergency generator. And, though the cost is high, city officials suggest adding a helipad to the roof, according to the report. That would require a total redesign of the roof, though, which would have to be flattened and reinforced.
Officials say that even though the two-bay, single-story facility was built in 1964 and remodeled in the 1980s and is no longer serviceable nor does it meet standards, its centralized location is unique. Many residents and tourists engage with crew members at the facility.
However, plans call for the demolition of the building and the construction of a new one, so in the meantime the department plans to use a temporary facility on the south end of McKay Park for $338,914.
City officials say work on the new station is expected to begin in April and is scheduled for completion in summer 2023. When complete, the temporary station will be dismantled, according to the report.