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Bloomington seeking new offers for fire station
By M.K. Guetersloh
mkguetersloh@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON — Bids that are $400,000 over budget on a project to build a fire station on the city’s west side will be taken up Monday by the Bloomington City Council.

A recommendation to re-bid the project could add three months to the scheduled opening of the station.

The lowest bid of six submitted was $3.4 million for Station No. 6, to be built at Six Points Road and Mitsubishi Motorway. The city budget allows for spending $3 million.

The bids will be reviewed by the council along with a recommendation from the city’s staff to redesign and re-bid the station. The council meets at 7:30 p.m. at city hall.

Originally, Bloomington Fire Department officials hoped to open the station in May 2008. However, Deputy Chief Dan Shanks said re-bidding could push the opening well into the fall of 2008.

In his memo to the council, Chief Keith Ranney said a redesign could eliminate features that make the building friendly to the environment.

Shanks said “green” features that could be eliminated are those that would allow the building to generate its own energy, including solar panels and a wind turbine. “Those would be the biggest cost,” he added.

The No. 6 station is one of two stations the city will open in 2008. A station also is planned at the Central Illinois Regional Airport. The airport station is being paid for with federal money and has been mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The fire department will add about 18 firefighters to staff both stations.



City Council

What: Bloomington City Council will consider bids for a new fire station

When: 7:30 p.m. Monday

Where: Bloomington City Hall, 109 E. Olive St.

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Reader comments on this story - 6 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Six Pts & Mits wrote on Aug 28, 2007 12:35 AM:

" Its all part of a secret plan.... build the fire station... and then we'll HAVE to pay for the Mitsubishi Expansion... moo ha haha ha haa "

To: Curious wrote on Aug 27, 2007 6:25 PM:

" I was asking the same thing. Doesn't Mitsubishi end at Route 9 just past the Interstate Center? The only road I can think of that would be close to aligning with Mitsubishi in the Six Points area would be Rabbit Hill Road or Bloomingdale Road. "

curious wrote on Aug 27, 2007 3:12 PM:

" Where is Six Points Road and Mitsubishi Motorway? "

Jimmy the Greek wrote on Aug 27, 2007 12:02 PM:

" The council should take the 3 months extra and rebid the firehouse. We have one shot at getting this right the first time. Three months is not a lot of time compared to the next 100 years the building willl serve the public. If there is a reasonable return time on the extra 400K then research to find the extra funding is warrented. Talk to the companies that bid the project and see if there are solutions that would bring down the price and at the same time stay as close as possible to the original design. What about creating a TIF for the area that is going to be served by this firehouse. Seems that a one or 2 year TIF will surely cover the extra cost. Its about the safety of our citizens not the beautification of a depressed area. "

Dennis Dawson wrote on Aug 27, 2007 8:19 AM:

" The Fire Chief and the City Council should be commended for their inclusion of green features in this facility. I hope they are able to work through the dollar issues in other areas. This fire station will be owned and maintained by the taxpayers for many, many years. Although costly to install, spread out over the life of the fire station this will pay for itself at some. point. "

Uncle Andy wrote on Aug 27, 2007 6:27 AM:

" If they're going to get rid of the solar panels and the wind turbine, they definately have to keep the hamster running on the wheel! "
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