Clinard picked to rebuild fire station
Posted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008
ROGERS — Beleaguered Fire Station No. 5 here is one step closer to being rebuilt. A city committee has selected Clinard Construction Management to construct the station.
During the Sept. 23 Rogers City Council meeting, aldermen approved a contract with Heckathorn Construction to tear down damaged portions of the station, leaving only the concrete vehicle bay. On Sept. 9, the council voted to name planning commissioner and architect Don Spann as the designer of the new facility. Spann will also oversee the construction effort.
Rogers Fire Station No. 5 has been closed since August, after attempts to fix leaks revealed that water had saturated the walls, with rust making the structure unsound, and mold and mildew making the building a potential hazard to the firefighters inside.
The council and Mayor Steve Womack chose, during the Sept. 9 meeting, to declare an emergency and allow the city to select builders rather than requesting bids on the project. Clinard beat out Nabholz Client Service, Crossland Construc- tion and Heckathorn to win the right to negotiate a contract.
“ They just gave the best presentation, ” Spann said. “ The committee just felt good about them. They worked real hard in the design phase. They’re real concerned about saving money and lowering costs. ”
But the deal hinges on the contract. Spann hoped to have one signed by the end of the week, but that depends not only on price, but also on Clinard’s willingness to be involved in the process outside of the construction work. ment with Clinard, the committee would move to the second-ranked contractor. Spann said he would not reveal the rankings the contractors received.
Spann said all four applicants offered a timeline for their services, but he said a true timetable would be impossible to determine until designs are finalized. Spann has completed the floor plan and layout for the station, but little more at this point. He told the council on Sept. 23 that a builder would be chosen well before the designs were completed.
During the dismantling and rebuilding of the fire station, its personnel and vehicles have been reassigned elsewhere in the city. Interim Fire Chief Alan Bradrick said the closure has not caused any delays in service. Call volume for that area has been at routine levels, he said.
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