Photo by Whitehorse Star
Pictured above: WAYNE TUCK
Contract awarded for new fire hall design
A local firm will oversee the design and construction of a new downtown fire hall.
A local firm will oversee the design and construction of a new downtown fire hall.
That was finalized Monday evening, when city council voted in favour of awarding Charles McLaren Architects Ltd. the nearly $300,000 consulting contract for the building.
The local firm was the only company to submit a proposal on the project.
It will see the new downtown fire hall constructed at the former Motorways trucking yard site near the waterfront.
Plans are also in the works to eventually have the current fire hall site next to city hall used for a city services building.
The main construction of the new fire hall is anticipated to happen in 2019.
The city is proposing to spend $2.2 million on the construction that year as outlined in the city’s provisional spending plan for 2019.
In a previous report to council, city engineer Wayne Tuck explained the city has outgrown the current Second Avenue firehall.
“The existing building, built in the 1950s, is too small and is energy-inefficient,” he said.
“It only accommodates two trucks and two staff, but recommendations to meet the needs for the next few years are for three vehicles and four staff downtown.”
The plans would see the Motorways garage between Front Street and Second Avenue at Black Street redeveloped as the new two-storey fire hall.
The design is set to use the existing concrete and steel structure with modifications.
“The new location with access from Black Street will allow significantly improved access over the current location on Second Avenue,” Tuck said before he recommended the contract award.
The proposal by Charles McLaren met all the criteria that are evaluated before the price was looked at.
Project team, methodology and approach, qualifications and experience, schedule and local content were considered before the price – $298,573 – was opened.
The firm earned a score of 89 out of a possible 100 points available through the evaluation.
Council was unanimous in its decision to award the contract to Charles McLaren Architects.
Coun. Rob Fendrick attended Monday’s session by conference call.
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Comments (8)
Up 0 Down 1
warlord on Mar 7, 2018 at 12:59 pm
Bad location. This is part of the industrialization of the waterfront. And it will continue. This is bad planning and a lack of ingenuity on behalf of all government sectors and their utilitarian perspective. Boring!
Up 0 Down 0
Hugh Mungus on Mar 7, 2018 at 9:14 am
Joe on Mar 4, 2018 at 12:17 am
What public consultation?
@ Joe There is no mention of public consultation in the article your faux outrage is without base. Go back and re-read the article, particularly this passsage:
"That was finalized Monday evening, when city council voted in favour of awarding Charles McLaren Architects Ltd. the nearly $300,000 consulting contract for the building."
Up 0 Down 1
Francis on Mar 4, 2018 at 9:15 pm
I hope this doesn't cause new traffic blockage on 2nd ave., and then we put in a traffic circle to fix that. These don't work at every location. Sometimes they are a great hindrance and 2nd ave is about the only artery through town that now flows.
Up 1 Down 0
Joe on Mar 4, 2018 at 12:17 am
What public consultation?
Up 3 Down 1
My Opinion on Mar 3, 2018 at 12:27 am
It would fit the staff fine if they were not sleeping on the job. I fail to see why when your shift is at night you should be sleeping anyway. That is your shift you should be alert and ready to go, that is what you are paid for. To many years of Fireman holding down the night shift and running their own business in the day time. Not just a few either, lots of them.
Up 2 Down 1
Hugh Mungus on Mar 2, 2018 at 11:13 am
"Coun. Rob Fendrick attended Monday’s session by conference call."
Rob 'phone it in' Fendrick
Up 2 Down 0
martin on Mar 2, 2018 at 6:54 am
Good choice! That architectural firm always done good, on time and on budget. Over the years, I also enjoyed Mr McLaren's writing on the intricacies of construction/tenders in YT
Up 0 Down 0
Ronald on Mar 1, 2018 at 9:39 pm
Funny, but I don't recall that the firehall ever shared space with the old liquor store back in the 1950s. Current building seems a lot younger.