City of Beachwood Considers Construction of New Fire Station

BEACHWOOD, OH — City Council met on Monday to get an update on the fire station proposal from the Beachwood Fire Department and the firm Lemay, Erickson, Willcox Architects. It was decided in the meeting that the city could begin accepting bids for a new fire station to be built at Richmond Road and Park East Drive, reports cleveland.com.

The plans presented by Lemay, Erickson, Willcox Architects show a 25,615-square-foot station that would take over for the current number two fire station on Chagrin Boulevard. The estimated total cost would be $8.3 million.

Beachwood Fire Department Chief Patrick Kearns, said the initial cost was actually $1.5 million more, but changes were made to the original plan to cut costs. Kearns felt that almost $10 million was "ridiculous."

Council members told Kearns that they relied on his experience to determine what features would be needed in a new fire station. Once approved, construction could begin as soon as next spring.

Kearns has long been an advocate for the replacement of fire station number two, stating that it was too small and the location was not conducive to a quick response for the growing southern part of the city.

"When (the city) first started considering a fire station, " Kearns told cleveland.com, "I was told to give you the station that you need, and to prepare for regionalization so that when regionalization begins, we'll (beachwood) be in the driver's seat."

Beachwood has already secured the neccessary permits from the Ohio EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to begin building on the protected wetlands site. Much of the southern area of Beachwood is home to the endangered Indiana bat. For that reason, clearing of trees must occur between Sept. 30 and March 31, when the bat will not be seeking shelter in trees at the construction site.

For more, visit cleveland.com.

Image credit: LeMay Erickson Willcox Architects