A $515,000 stopgap proposed before Fire Station No. 1 comes down

Before Sandy Springs, Georgia, can demolish and replace Fire Station No. 1, its temporary home must be ready. Staff are asking City Council on Nov. 3 to award F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates a contract of up to $515,000 to prepare leased space at 8615 Roswell Road.⁠[1][2]

The temporary facility is intended to keep fire and emergency response services running while the station at 1425 Spalding Drive is rebuilt. Staff identified F.H. Paschen as the lowest bidder and say the temporary site must be ready for occupancy before demolition begins.⁠[1]

The build-out has $262,401.50 available. Staff propose transferring another $300,000 from capital contingency to cover construction and associated costs. The capital memo lists $561,350 for construction plus an owner’s contingency; staff say the transfer uses existing funds rather than requiring an additional appropriation.⁠[1]

Rent is a separate budget fix. The rent memo says the adopted FY2027 budget omitted the first year’s lease expense. Staff propose redirecting $534,500 budgeted for an aerial truck and an engine: $216,000 would cover rent and $318,500 would go to general contingency. According to the memo, final financing terms mean no apparatus payment is required in FY2027, and the reallocation would not increase the overall budget.⁠[1]

One ambiguity identified in our earlier report on the funding plan has been clarified. The earlier rent memo described the expense as both the first and second lease years. The version reviewed for this update consistently calls it the first year; the proposed $216,000 allocation is unchanged.⁠[1][2]

The capital memo has also changed, but less conclusively. It drops its former 10% owner’s-contingency label while retaining the $561,350 total. It does not explain how the contingency was calculated. Neither the recommended $515,000 contract nor the $300,000 capital transfer request has changed.⁠[1][2]

The construction award and both budget amendments remain proposals for council consideration, not established approvals. The Nov. 3 meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Studio Theatre at City Hall, 1 Galambos Way.⁠[1][2]