Boerne City Council Tuesday selected an architect for its second fire station, expected to be open and serving the eastern portion of the city by spring 2026.
The alignment with Hoefer Welker Architects, selected from among 13 bidding firms, will cost the city $1,368,375 for design services and fees, according to Fire Chief Manny Casarez, who presented council with the findings of a search committee tasked with the selection.
“We are estimating the building to cost $11,275,000 to construct,” He noted in information supplied to council.
After an initial round of reviews of all 13 architectural applications, the search committee trimmed the list to six firms for in-person interviews. The committee eventually settled Hoefer Welker.
“The firm appeared to be the most aligned with our needs,” Casarez told council at its April 9 meeting.
The initial cost includes $54,500 for pre-design services, a $1,036,125 architectural fee, $156,000 for civil/landscape design, $42,000 for surveying and environmental fees, $35,000 for design and $20,000 for site due diligence.
“When we were done interviewing them, there was just a ‘feeling’ that felt right with them,” he said. “They showed up with all their consultants ... you could tell there was a culture of collaboration. That really meant a lot to us.”
Having all projects consultants working for one firm, he said, lessens the chances for miscommunication.
“There are no handoffs, there was no worry we were going to have miscommunication between consultants,” the chief said. “Whether it’s civil engineer, mechanical, landscape — they all talk to each other very regularly, with good processes in place.”
The station will be built on Esperanza Espe-Boulevard at its intersection with Lajitas Drive, 3.5 miles from the city’s current fire station on North Main Street.
The project will include an eight-month design phase, a two-month bidding process, and a 12-month construction phase with construction beginning in spring 2025. “We anticipate the grand opening to take place in early 2026,” he said.
There will be opportunities for stakeholder input built into the design process. “This process does not work without all stakeholder’s involvement and engagement,” the chief said.
There will be opportunities for stakeholder input built into the design process. “This process does not work without all stakeholder’s involvement and engagement,” the chief said.
The fire department currently has the fleet to operate two stations, although a new pumper has already been purchased through a 41-month build. Casarez said the two timelines — construction of the pumper and opening of the new station — should be a close tie.
Staffing, he said, will ideally run eight per shift, with four-person pumper crews at each station, as well as a battalion chief supervising at each location. He said two additional employees at each station would be needed to handle the brunt of first responder-EMS calls, which constitute roughly 80 percent of all emergency calls.
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