At two stories and 24,300 square feet, the new station is about 10,000 square feet bigger than its predecessor.

The $7.5 million building will have a ground-floor apparatus bay with room for up to 10 vehicles. And for the first time, that bay will be open on both sides, which means trucks won't have to turn around and back in but can pull directly through whether they're coming from either direction.

A lobby with an antique fire truck on display will greet first-floor visitors, Bradner said. The rest of the first floor will be office space and a training room that can be accessed by the community.

Upstairs, crews will find individual bunk rooms as opposed to the large, dorm-style room partitioned off by a handful of dividers that the old Station 11 had. 

There will be locker rooms and showers for both men and women, a large kitchen and dining area and more office space, and an outdoor patio to bring in light and fresh air.

The new station also will boast two brass fire poles for firefighters to slide down: a new one and the pole salvaged from the old building, which was salvaged from an even earlier structure and might date back to the early 1900s, Bradner said.

The cost of the six-month study will depend on the response the city receives from a request for proposals, which will be opened on Jan. 11. Eighteen firms from throughout Maine and the U.S. are weighing whether to submit proposals, according to the city.

"The consultant will identify future fire station locations and current fire station updates and upgrades to meet the future service needs of the community," the city's request for proposals says.

The move comes as city officials are looking to get a handle on capital investment needed to improve the city's infrastructure. The highest profile buildings in need are the city's four elementary schools, and Mayor Ethan Strimling and parents are pushing for a $60 million to $70 million bond to pay for upgrades.

Fire Chief David Jackson said that, like many city buildings, deferred maintenance in lean budget years has taken its toll of the city's nine fire stations, which include the Marine Division in the Casco Bay Lines parking garage on Commercial Street and the Air Rescue Division at the Portland International Jetport.

Few investments have been made in those stations with the exception of the Marine Division, which received a $300,000 investment in 2012.

Before making investments in the city's stations, Jackson said it makes sense to look at the city's call volumes and neighborhoods with the largest demand for services to determine where the city's stations are ideally situated.

The study will look at future growth projections for certain areas of the city and whether its makes more sense to invest in existing stations or replace them, according to the city's request for proposals.

Austin police received a call around 11:10 p.m. Friday, reporting the woman was hit on Loop 360 near Westbank Drive. Austin Fire Department Division Chief Palmer Buck said the fire engine was driving to a non-emergency call when a cluster of cars in front of the truck swerved to avoid the unidentified woman and several vehicles collided with her. Buck described conditions at the time as "dark and rainy."

"It's very unfortunate," Buck said. "The crew did what they could - they stopped the truck and immediately started care, but it was readily apparent that the victim suffered injuries not compatible with life."

Buck said the fire department took part in an investigation with the police department, but no arrests have been made and the fire department has not been found to be at fault.

Fire Chief Harry Scifres said once the additional bay is finished, the district will be able to buy a new pumper-tanker truck that can be used to fight fires.

The truck would replace a 44-year-old pumper that can hold only 600 gallons of water. Capacity of the new truck would be about 1,500 gallons, helpful when fighting fires in remote areas where water might not be readily available.

"We have a shortage of water down here," Scifres said. "We're about 15 miles from anybody."

"Any trucks you get now are a lot taller" than older trucks used by many rural fire departments, Scifres said.

That's why the district needs to build the extra bay onto the fire station. The new bay will not be appreciably longer than the current bays, but it will have significantly more clearance overhead so the district will be able to park the new truck inside.

Scifres said fire officials plan to begin shopping for the new pumper tanker in coming weeks. He said the district hopes to find a used vehicle in good condition at a reasonable price.

The firehouse expansion program will be financed with part of the proceeds from a $188,000 bond issue approved by district voters in April 2015.