Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project
- Project typeBuildings & Facilities
- Project value$10,167,779
- Completion DateDecember 31, 2025
Project Description
Fire Station No. 4 was built in 1953 and located at 3600 Middlefield Road. The existing fire station building does not serve the current needs of the Fire Department and does not effectively use the current 0.6-acre portion of the property. City Council included the replacement of Fire Station No. 4 in the Infrastructure Plan approved in June 2014. This project will provide a new facility built to current essential services standards with a high likelihood of being fully operational during and after a major disaster such as a significant earthquake.
Scope of Work
The proposed fire station shall be a building code compliant essential services facility for emergency response. The project will consist of the following components:
- Establishment of temporary Fire Station 4 accommodations to be determined (not part of architect’s scope)
- Demolition of existing fire station buildings and removal of drying rack
- Integration of the existing fuel station on site
- New fire station building consisting of:
- Watchroom office and public restrooms
- Emergency Operations Center (EOC)/Training room
- Two drive-through apparatus bays and a stand-by apparatus bay
- Firefighter living quarters
- Captain’s Office
The new fire station will also be designed for LEED Silver certification and meet City adopted building code standards by having an all-electric design for new construction.
The project is divided into 3 phases: Schematic Design, Final Design and Construction Documents, and Construction. Community outreach will take place during Schematic Design.
Project Status
BRW Architects and the City have started the planning entitlement process and is in the process of obtaining approval from the Architectural Review Board (ARB). Community meetings will be scheduled for public feedback. A salvage survey was performed in January 2023 as Fire Station No. 4 will be one of the first City facility projects to undergo deconstruction per the new municipal code requirements.
Project Timeline
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Project Creation
- 2005 – A Replacement Needs Assessment Study performed by RRM Design Group that provided program and other feasibility level information for the basis to begin design of the new Fire Station No. 4.
- June 2014 – Council Infrastructure Committee included Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project in the City’s Infrastructure Plan.
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Solicitation for Design
- July 23, 2020 – Request for Proposals (RFP) posted by City for the design of Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project.
- August 3, 2020 – Mandatory pre-proposal meeting held virtually for potential consultants. 23 consultants attended the meeting.
- September 20, 2020 – The City received eight proposals, two of which were deemed nonresponsive. City reviewed proposals and selected three firms to participate in oral interviews.
- October 05, 2020 – Oral interviews take place. Brown Reynolds Watford Architects, Inc. (BRW Architects) is selected as the top consultant.
- June 21, 2020 – Council defers construction funding for Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project to FY2024. City staff defers contract award to BRW Architects to ensure design would comply with the latest building codes and sustainability standards as well as ensure design of building systems and specifications of special equipment would incorporate or consider the newest technology available.
- May 23, 2022 – Council approval of BRW Architects design contract for Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project.
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Design Phase
- June 2022: BRW Architects begins Schematic Design
- October 20, 2022: Public Art Commission (PAC) approved funding for integrating public art into Fire Station 4.
- February 16, 2023: BRW Architects and PWE presented massing options and materials from schematic design to the Architectural Review Board (ARB) in a preliminary hearing.
Upcoming Meetings
The City of Palo Alto is hosting a virtual community meeting on April 6 at 5:00 p.m. for the proposed design for the Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project. During this meeting, BRW Architects will present their proposed fire station design and, afterwards, the City will host a Q&A session. Community members can register online for the meeting.
Save the Date Here
Project Documents
Public Art Commission (PAC) Staff Report – October 20, 2022
Architectural Review Board (ARB) Staff Report – February 16, 2023
BRW Architects Preliminary ARB Review Presentation - February 16, 2023(PDF, 4MB)
Location
3600 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303 View Map
37.4238903,-122.1147646
3600 Middlefield Road ,
Palo Alto, CA 94303
3600 Middlefield Road ,
Palo Alto, CA 94303