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This rendering shows the planned new Fire Station 1, facing 300 West.

Courtesy Provo City

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This rendering shows the planned new Fire Station 1 in downtown Provo.

Courtesy Provo City

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On Tuesday, the Provo City Council approved a resolution appropriating an additional $1.5 million on top of $5 million originally allocated for the city’s new Fire Station 1.

The higher cost was credited to increased interest rates and inflation. The funding sources for the appropriation are $850,000 from the Legacy CIP fund and $650,000 from impact fees.

The council voted 7-0 to approve the resolution, but getting to that point was a struggle for some members.

Discussion veered away at times when council members started talking about costs of zoning and a parking terrace and the hopes for a new great enterprise to benefit the city on the old City Hall site just north of the fire station.

Fire Station 1 is located at 300 West and 100 South and is replacing the old fire station and the community development building.

Paulsen Construction, the lowest bidder, was selected for the project. Five companies bid on the project, ranging from about $5.8 million to almost $7.9 million.

Deputy Mayor Isaac Paxman noted that Paulsen, which just completed two other fire stations, has had a letter of intent waiting for council approval since Aug. 17. They gave the city a grace period to have Tuesday’s meeting and public hearing. The contract has been sitting on Paxman’s desk for a few weeks.

The discussion of the parking terrace and zoning was not on the agenda.

Councilman Bill Fillmore, concerned about the distraction, said, “Public safety should always be our first priority. No one is going to argue about the need for a fire station.”

Paxman said the city only figured in a 5% cost contingency rather than the usual 10%. He apologized to the council if he has to come back and ask for a bit more.

With the fire station already demolished and the contract signed, construction should be ready to begin.

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