Fairfield City Engineer Melanie Carlson reported during the December 15th city council meeting that bids for the new fire station were opened on November 14th, with proposals submitted by 10 contractors. The lowest bid was received from Christner Contracting of Ottumwa in the amount of $7,298,347.
Construction has encountered several challenges, most notably the removal of the original 1912 floor, which proved to be a much larger undertaking than anticipated and resulted in a significant increase in project costs. Carlson also noted that the site’s history contributed to complications, as portions of the basement extend beneath a former Iowa Department of Transportation building. In addition, persistent rainfall throughout July slowed progress on the building’s footings, with the final footing completed on October 17th.
Installation of the precast concrete walls and metal framing began on November 3rd, with crews placing between nine and 12 panels per day. Carlson noted that the use of precast walls allowed the structure to take shape very quickly. Another major milestone was reached on December 9th with the placement of the building’s generator.
As the project transitions into the next phase, Carlson cautioned that visible exterior progress will slow considerably. She explained that once the building becomes enclosed, work will shift primarily to interior trades such as electrical and plumbing, making progress less noticeable from the outside.
“I wanted to remind the council and the public that the walls were precast, so they went up very, very quickly,” Carlson said. “It’s going to look like nothing is happening for probably the next six months. As the building gets enclosed, the inside trades—like electrical and plumbing—are going to be doing their work, and it’s just not going to be as obvious that something is going on.”
Looking ahead, construction in the coming weeks will focus on installing reinforcing steel for the concrete roof of the storm shelter area. Crews are hopeful the roof can be poured before the end of the calendar year, weather permitting. Steel roof framing will continue, along with welding and grouting of the precast panels.
Carlson emphasized that while progress may appear to slow, work inside the building will remain ongoing.
“We knew this would happen—it would look like a lot is done, then it will look like nothing is being done—but I promise you, stuff is happening on the inside,” she said. “We’re at that stage where they’re starting the interior work, and it’s not going to look as impressive.”
To help keep the public informed, Carlson said the city hopes to install a timelapse camera inside the building to document construction progress. She added that with the generator now in place, larger cranes will soon be leaving the site, further contributing to the perception of slower activity.
“They did get the generator installed last week, so even the larger cranes are going to be moving off-site,” Carlson said. “Again, it won’t look as impressive as it has over the last month, but progress is continuing.”
When accounting for design costs already incurred, anticipated testing during construction, and furnishings not included in the base building contract, the total estimated cost of the fire station project is approximately $8.87 million at this time. The facility is expected to be completed in 2026. The new station will feature roughly 17,000 square feet on the main level, a 1,433-square-foot second floor for storage and an exercise area, and a three-story training tower.
Photography courtesy of Werner Elmker.
