Moody Fire Station Project On Schedule

WALTHAM, MA —If you've driven down Moody Street recently you may have noticed some activity at the fire station. Steel frame for the addition has started to go up. The old station's windows have been boarded up, and the inside of that space has been gutted as the crews work on the next stage for the $9.3 million fire station renovation and replacement project.

"The weather’s cooperated," said Waltham Fire Chief Thomas MacInnis. "Once they get the rest of the steal up, the decking will go on and it’s going to move pretty quick."

The Moody Street Fire Station was built in the 1800s, when firefighters drive to the fires via horse-drawn carts. City Councilors say that firefighters tell them on hot humid days you can still smell the horses. For years, the city has talked about how to best upgrade the historic station that they say is severely outdated.

The city approved funding $239,000 for the demolition of the Young Building near the corner of Moody and Maple to make way for a new Moody Street fire station late last year. In February residents came to watch as the building came down, marking the first visible step in the project. In May, the city approved the $10 million bid for construction work.

In the summer, the Young Building came down and then crews worked to prep the site for a new foundation. This fall the steel arrived and in the next few weeks the steel framework should be finished.

"The next two weeks changes are going to be very noticeable," said the chief. "And in the coming two to three months there’s going to be a large difference in the way the site looks."

The chief and city councilors say the project is on time.

In the historic station crews have roughed out the second floor walls and plumbing and sewer inspections are all but done. The HVAC has been redone and the sprinkler work in the attic finished.

"The project is on schedule," said City Councilor Cathyann Harris, of Ward 8, who said a number of folks driving by have reached out to see where the project stands. "The station is still slated to open at the end of 2020 or early 2021."

Throughout the next 15 business days crews will finish putting up the steel beams enclose the space and then make way to put a roof on the building so interior work can begin early next year, according to the chief and Harris.

"Throughout the project there’s been good communication with the neighbors and the neighborhood," said Harris.

Crews have been working between 7 a.m. and finish each day by 5 p.m. and disruptions to traffic have been minimal, she said.

The next street openings to work on the gas pipes won't happen until Spring. And while the steel goes up this month, the fire department is working on making a list of the types of furniture fixtures and equipment - everything from bathroom light fixtures to work benches, shelving and soap dispensers- and will head before the city council to request funds to send those items out for a bid.

"There are just so many things to think about," said Harris. "We had a lot of equipment put into the cost of the fire station. The big ticket items like dryers, additional refills for oxygen tanks were all on it. But we couldn’t conceptualize everything that was needed. The rest will have to go before the council."

Previously on Patch:

• Waltham Considers $10 Million Bid For New Moody St Fire Station
• Waltham Approves $10 Million Bid For New Moody St Fire Station
• First Look At New Moody Fire Station Project
• Demo Day In Waltham: Young Building Is Demolished
• More Demolition Work On Moody Street Fire Station | Waltham ...

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).