A B.C. company has been chosen to design the new fire hall slated to be built on Massey Drive.
A statement issued Thursday confirmed that the architecture and design firm selected for the job was HCMA Architecture + Design of Vancouver.
"HCMA has extensive experience in wood architecture and fire hall construction, having designed the recently constructed Richmond Brighouse Fire Hall No. 1 and Vancouver Fire Hall
No. 17 - the first passive house fire hall in B.C.," said city spokesperson Michael Kellett. "In Prince George, the company designed the bioenergy plant at UNBC and they are also working on a new design for Kelly Road (Secondary) School."
Furthermore, some of the work will also be done by a Prince George company. The engineering design team led by L&M Engineering of Prince George will be involved in the efforts to replace Fire Hall No. 1.
"L&M Engineering is an experienced civil engineering consultant, which has worked on many civic facilities and designs for the city and the school district," Kellett said.
The current fire hall no longer meets the equipment needs of the Prince George Fire Rescue Service. The new location on the frontage of Carrie Jane Gray Park, alongside the YMCA of Northern BC, was selected for its expected improvement in response times.
"The new fire hall will house modern firefighting equipment and improve response times to a greater area of the city," said Fire Chief John Iverson.
"It would also ensure that Prince George is better positioned to respond to emergencies and provide enhanced fire dispatch services to a large portion of Northern B.C. The new Fire Hall No. 1 will also be 50 per cent larger than the current facility and have the capacity to house a functional and well-designed Emergency Operations Centre and Fire Operations Communications Centre."
Work has already begun to prepare the site for construction. The design will be developed through 2018 and the city will host a public information session later in the fall to provide information to residents.
Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2019 and extend through most of 2020.
