In the end, the council approved the design and authorized GLMV Architecture to proceed to develop construction documents.

The fire station is scheduled to be built in 2018 and replace the current aging Station 81, which is now at 128 W. Market. That property will be retained by the city, but used for other functions.

Derby has one other fire station, which is at 1401 N. Rock Road.

City officials say the new station is needed for a number of reasons, including being closer to where the city's growth is taking place. Along with improving response times, it will avoid issues with the railroad tracks, which the current Station 81 has.

That includes traffic backing up when trains are passing by. The new station also will be able to offer the administrative part of the department adequate room.

At the council meeting, members said a close examination of the design was justified, especially considering the amount of tax dollars and the fact that this structure will be serving Derby for decades to come.

"This is a big deal for us," Mayor Randy White said to the three-member team from GLMV who had come to city hall to make their presentation. "This is something for us to be proud of."

Council members explained to the team that while they liked the design, they wanted to make sure taxpayers were getting their money's worth from the $6.5 million project.

"This is going to be the crown jewel that makes this hotel a really unique and special hotel in Denver," said Josh Fine, executive vice president of Focus Property Group, the project's developer. "The building is the oldest fire house that's standing in the city. It's around 130 years old -- beautiful brickwork on the front, two arches. We're going to be restoring the building to its original grandeur."

The long-vacant building, one of the only remaining structures from an early Denver neighborhood known as the "Bottoms," will house a restaurant with outdoor patios facing both Chestnut and 20th.

Additional amenities at the upscale, select-service hotel -- a 233-room Hilton Garden Inn to be operated by Georgia-based Davidson Hotels -- include banquet space, meeting rooms and a fitness center.

Construction is set to begin this week, Fine said. The hotel is expected to open in early 2019.

Five new Emergency One 100 Foot Rear Mount Metro Ladders were officially put into service at a ceremony that also included a blessing of the fleet by Assistant Chaplain Rev. Carl Thompson.

"These new ladders show the City of Boston's commitment not just to public safety, but to firefighters' profession," said Mayor Walsh.

"Often residents don't think of firefighters until there's a tragedy -- but protecting our city is what first responders do every day."

"These new ladders will help ensure the security of our entire City, and represent a major investment in Boston's public safety capabilities."

These ladders join four previously delivered ladders, completing the delivery of nine new ladder trucks for the BFD. With nine out of 20 ladders replaced, almost 50 percent of Boston's ladder trucks have been replaced within one year.

In addition to these nine new ladder trucks, the Boston Fire Department will be ordering 23 new engines, and training 50 new recruits at the Boston Fire Academy, all of whom are veterans.

Boston is continuing its investment in public safety through the construction of a new Engine 42 Fire Station in Egleston Square, one of two new firehouses built in Boston in the last 30 years.

"We need the truck ASAP," March said. "Right now, we have a Halifax ladder truck and they need it, so we're in a hurry to get our replacement here."

The fire service for Sydney and surrounding areas has been moving equipment around, making do, since heavy rainfall in October caused extensive flooding and millions of dollars in damage to homes and infrastructure, including 28 fire department vehicles.

The new truck will be stationed in Sydney, and their current truck will be moved to North Sydney.

Still, North Sydney should not feel bad about getting a second-hand truck, March said. Their current aerial truck is a 1988 model with a 75-foot ladder, while the one being transferred from Sydney was built in 2012, and can reach 109 feet.

The new truck in Sydney will have an aerial ladder that can rotate 360 degrees, March said.

"The truck we're buying is a little different than the one that's currently here," he said. "What they call a 'stick' is just a ladder on the truck, and what we're buying is called a 'platform.'

"At the end of the ladder, there's a bucket that two men can get right in and stand in, much like you see on the Nova Scotia Power trucks. You could put a victim right in the bucket, so it's a much more versatile truck.

"They have a 30-year life expectancy. It's expensive outright to buy, but for what that piece of equipment does, it's not that bad, when you divide $1.3 million by 30 years, when you look at the life-saving and structural firefighting ability and protection of equipment, and safety for firefighters."