Published July 2 2014
A study of the city's firefighting facilities concludes that one station and the city's public safety training center need to be replaced, and that land should be acquired downtown for a new fire station.
A long-range fire facilities master plan presented to the City Council Monday indicated that the city's nine fire stations are in good condition and good locations.
However, a downtown station is needed to ensure adequate protection for Bellevue's fastest growing residential neighborhood. Fire Station 5, serving northwest Bellevue, one of the older stations, should be replaced on an adjacent site and the training facility on 116th Avenue Northeast needs to be modernized and expanded to keep up with current and expected training for police and firefighters.
According to Seattle-based Schreiber, Starling & Lane Architects, which completed the plan, the most immediate needs, with costs, are:
- Replacement of Fire Station 5 ($11.6 million);
- Land acquisition for a downtown fire station ($14.3 million); and
- Training Center expansion ($16.8 million).
All three projects have been submitted as proposals for the city's 2015-2021 Capital Investment Program (CIP) budget.