Chelsea Area Fire Authority fire station renovation under way
Chelsea Fire Chief Jim Payeur and firefighter Phil Thayer determine where exterior lighting needs to be placed as renovations have begun on the Chelsea fire station.
Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com
The 4,875 square foot fire station was built in 1963, and will get a new roof and exterior work that will include the modernization of the front of the building.
Chelsea Area Fire Authority Chief Jim Payeur said 7 feet will be added onto the new brick front on the building and the front wall will be enclosed to square off the building.
The project, which will cost about $200,000, includes replacement of the existing roof, siding and trim, relocating the overhead doors, and closing in the front masonry. The additional space will increase the size of the dispatch area in the front of the building, allowing for better customer service to residents who stop by the station.
During the last several years, there had been discussions about building a new fire station, but with the current economic conditions, Payeur said the fire board decided instead to renovate the current building at 200 West Middle St.
He said as much of the material currently there will be reused to keep costs as low as possible.
“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback for doing it this way rather than build something new,” he said.
Payeur said a renovation of the fire station was one of the things that the board promised voters when they approved a 1.8 mill tax levy for fire services in 2009.
He said he recommended to the board that the fire station remain in its current spot, which is centrally located within the service area of Chelsea, Lima, Lyndon, Sylvan and Dexter townships.
In addition, Chelsea’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) agreed to pay for driveway repairs.
Two fire engines, a tanker, a tower and two rescue vehicles are housed inside the building. Payeur said other vehicles are either kept outside or stored at the fairgrounds.
Three bids were received for the renovations and the lowest bidder was Phoenix Contractors of Ypsilanti, which started work on the project last week. The company is also constructing the city’s new police station on Main Street.
Lisa Allmendinger is a reporter with AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Chelsea stories, visit our Chelsea page.