Contracts for Fire Stations OKd

The East Providence Fire Department received approval from the Budget Commission last week to award contracts to two construction firms to renovate two fire stations.

The contract for the renovation of Fire Station 1 at 913 Broadway in Rumford will go to Iron Construction Group of Warwick. Total cost is estimated at almost $2.9 million, according to East Providence Fire Chief Joseph Klucznik.

The contract for the renovation of Fire Station 4 at 66 Wampanoag Trail in Kent Heights will go to The Bailey Group in Cranston. Total cost is estimated at about $2 million, according to Klucznik.

Funds for the renovations are coming from an Assistance to Firefighters Grant of about $6.4 million under the federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. 

The construction firms were chosen with the help of William Starck Architects, which is designing the renovations at both stations. The companies were among the lowest three bidders, all of which submitted bids above the budgeted amounts. 

Subsequent negotiations with the firms reduced the bids within the project budgets, according to Klucznik. It was from the negotiated dollar amounts that the architect recommended the two firms to be awarded the contracts.

Construction is expected to begin soon, with completion expected by the end of June next year in what is described as an "aggressive" construction schedule.