Sylvania firehouse within budget

New Monroe St. facility progressing on schedule

7/16/2013
BY NATALIE TRUSSO CAFARELLO
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Sylvania Township Administrator John Zeitler said today that the construction of the new fire station on Monroe Street is still within budget and progressing on schedule.

At the request of township Fiscal Officer Dave Simko, Mr. Zeitler reviewed the overall cost of the new building for the Sylvania Township Fire Department’s fire station No. 1 for the board of trustees at Tuesday's meeting, telling them the overall construction cost is estimated at $1,966,860.

The estimate is about $1,800 above Mosser Construction’s bid amount to fabricate the 9,000 square foot station. The overage is related to tile drains and mesh being installed to separate the stone from the dirt to stabilize the ground, he said. 

With construction costs, added to the new equipment for the station, the total cost is estimated at $2,264,199. The township has budgeted $2,315,568 that will come from a 1.25-mill levy passed in 2008 to pay for the project. Another $200,000 remains in the capital improvement fund as contingency dollars originally allocated for the purchase of land. Ultimately, however, the station was built at its original site.

The new equipment and interior material purchases, estimated at $127,739 was not included in the construction costs, since the township is responsible for executing that portion of the project, Mr. Zeitler said. It includes purchasing and installing a diesel powered back-up generator for $61,689, lockers and personal gear for $22,000, a fire pole for $13,200, phones and radio equipment for $8,000, as well as desks, shelves, and tables for about $15,000.

Joseph Vetter, president of Toledo-based Vetter Design Group, which designed the project, and Kevin Wenning, project manager for Mosser Construction of Maumee, also spoke about the completion of the site.

Mr. Wenning said he expects the steel beams to close the building to be delivered in a month. Once those are set, finishes to the interior will begin, he said. The station is scheduled to complete by November 1. 

Trustees John Jennewine and Neal Mahoney seemed pleased with the costs associated with the project.

Trustee Kevin Haddad, however, continued to express displeasure with the final decision to build at the original site. Before the site was ultimately determined, Mr. Haddad had said he wanted the fire station built on Erie Street. He said the land where station has been since the 1930s could have been sold to the City of Sylvania, claiming officials there were interested in purchasing it for about $500,000, bringing down the cost of the project.

City of Sylvania Economic Director Bill Sanford said he did not recall any formal discussions or expressed interest by the city’s administration or Mayor Craig Stough to purchase the property, noting that the administration was pleased with the township's decision for the station to remain downtown.

Mr. Jennewine and Mr. Mahoney said they were not aware of purchase offers on the property.

Contact Natalie Trusso Cafarello at: 419-206-0356 or ntrusso@theblade.com