[Ashland] City eyeing new police, fire building

[seicer]

City eyes combined police, fire building

Key --

1. The combined fire and police building was one of four plans submitted.

1a. The 27,000 sq. ft. Central Fire Station, constructed in 1997 to replace the aging and small fire station on Greenup Avenue, is on Carter Avenue. On March 15, the city commission approved a contract ($2,800) to conduct an engineering study of the building to see if it can be expanded to include the police department.

1b. Idea not popular with the police or fire chief, although it would combine many facilities (i.e. workout rooms).

2. A study of the police department's needs in 2005 determined that they need 18,000-20,000 sq. ft. of space. Right now, it occupies 8,000 sq. ft. on four floros of the City Building.

3. The other proposals include,

3a. Constructing a new building on 17th Street.

3b. Constructing a new building in a parking lot behind the City Building (partially where the old fire station was).

3c. At 18th Street and Carter Avenue. (NW corner at the current parking lot?

Article information: "City eyes combined police, fire building, By CARRIE KIRSCHNER, The Independent, April 01, 2007"

[Rural King]

How are the economics/politics of Ashland. Can they go out and build from scratch a new police station without too many economic or political problems, or are they more inclined for economic and/or political reasons to try to save money and build onto the fire station if possible?

[seicer]

I think its to make the best use of space, but the fire department looks outstanding by itself. I am unsure if a combination would work, given that there would be a lot of constraints -- plus the fact that the two departments hated the idea. Note its only one proposal out of four. The others have a far better chance IMO, and a new station would fill in some vacant streetscapes nicely.

[seicer]

Safety facility requires addition

Key --

1. Renovating the existing Central Fire Station to create a police and fire station is not feasible.

2. The engineering study was to determine if the second floor could be renovated to house a police station. The study was not completed due to the initial findings.

3. Engineers came up with too many issues with expanding the second floor -- along with taking the building out of service for several months when renovations would take place.

4. Instead, engineers have proposed an adjoining addition in lieu of the fourth option north or west of the fire station. The city has given the go-ahead and will be completed for the original $2,800 appropriated for the fourth option.

Article information: "Safety facility requires addition, By CARRIE KIRSCHNER, The Independent, April 21, 2007"

[seicer]

Builder chosen for new Ashland police station

Herald-Dispatch [Huntington], October 19, 2007

Brandstetter Carroll Inc., a Lexington architectural firm, was selected Thursday to build a planned $4.6 million police station at 17th Street and Greenup Avenue across the street from the Ashland City Building. The bid for the new station could go out in late spring or early summer 2008, and the police could move out of the city building and across the street in early 2009. The lot the station is proposed on is currently a surface parking lot in the 1600 block of Greenup Avenue. The city already owns the 100- by 175-foot lot, and purchased it about three years ago for $250,000.

The new building would be one or two stories and have parking for cars and police cruisers.

The firm was chosen as it had designed police stations in the past.