A facility renovation may finally be in sight for Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Services, as the joint powers board Thursday approved a recommendation for $3.5 million in upgrades. The recommendation (coming in the form of a resolution) came after the board accepted a phase-two facility report from DJ Medin Architects, Inc.
The study follows the phase-one study in 2015 and this time dove specifically into flood-proofing, piling/foundation, and other needed geo-technical and civil engineering work. The need for a new or remodeled fire hall in Northfield has led to a number of facility studies throughout the years, dating back to 1994 when the Northfield Public Works Department conducted a facility report and found the department had reached its storage capacity for fire trucks. In the last five years, four studies have been completed, with estimates ranging from $2.765 million to $6.785 million for a new or remodeled facility. The studies have been conducted due to the limited space, lack of code compliance and flooding and accessibility issues. The concerns led to the joint powers board approving a roughly $24,000 phase-one facility study, most of which was covered by a grant. After feeling it needed more pre-project planning, the board approved an additional $34,180 for a phase-two study.