Courtesy of the City of Rolling Meadows
Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
Rolling Meadows officials unveiled renderings of the city’s two new fire stations along with a $13 million budget estimate, $4 million more than estimates developed at least five years ago, for how much the relocation plan will cost.
The price of acquiring land for the two stations was more than predicted, along with the expected cost of stormwater detention. Another higher expense is for a vehicle exhaust system that will be installed in the stations. The city plans to pay for the project by issuing general obligation bonds. Preliminary plans discussed Tuesday involve borrowing $13 million for the fire stations and another $2 million to $7 million for roads and utilities citywide.
Under one scenario, the city could do a $10 million bond issue this year, and another $5 million to $10 million issue next year. The city has hiked its property tax levy 4.8 percent in each of the last two years — mainly to fund police and fire pensions and roads, and another levy increase is probable.
The city is planning to build the new firehouses to replace the two existing stations, with a goal of improving response times and reducing fire risk throughout town. Station 15, at 3111 Meadow Drive, was built in 1958, and Station 16, at 2455 S. Plum Grove Road, was built in 1980. The site plans for both stations is similar.
Last month, crews completed demolition of a restaurant at 3201 Algonquin Road, where construction is set to begin in August on the new 12,700-square-foot Station 15. The city is now closing on property at 2320-2350 Hicks Road for the new 12,900-square-foot Station 16, for which construction would start 6-8 weeks after work begins on Station 15. The Hicks Road site has yet to be cleared of two buildings.
Officials expect to go out to bid in the next month. Construction of the stations could take 18 months.
thanks Dan
