Council approves up to $515,000 to build out Fire Station No. 1’s temporary home

Fire Station No. 1’s temporary home has cleared a construction hurdle. Sandy Springs’ Mayor and City Council approved an award of up to $515,000 on Nov. 3 to F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates to prepare the facility at 8615 Roswell Road.⁠[1]

The temporary station is intended to keep fire and emergency response services running while the existing station at 1425 Spalding Drive in Sandy Springs, Georgia, is demolished and replaced. Facilities staff say the Roswell Road site must be ready for occupancy before demolition begins.⁠[2]

The signed award resolution authorizes the city manager to execute the contract pending approval by the city attorney and chief financial officer. It confirms the award, not that the contract has been signed or construction has begun.⁠[1]

Paschen submitted the lowest of three bids. Its $515,000 price compared with $567,098 from Diversified Construction of Georgia and $990,000 from Integrity CRR.⁠[2]

The construction budget is a separate piece of the decision. Staff’s capital-funding memo listed $262,401.50 available and $561,350 for construction plus an owner’s contingency. Staff requested a $300,000 transfer from capital contingency, describing it as a reallocation of existing money rather than an additional appropriation.⁠[2]

Rent was another proposed budget fix. Interim Fire Chief Jesse Bernard’s memo said the adopted FY2027 budget omitted the first year’s lease expense. He proposed using $216,000 of money no longer needed for that year’s fire-apparatus payment to cover rent, with another $318,500 going to general contingency.⁠[2]

Our earlier account described the construction award and both budget amendments as proposals. The signed resolution now confirms the construction award; approval of the separate capital and rent amendments has not been verified for this update.⁠[1][3]