The South Shore Fire Station was built in 1971 and may need to be replaced. (Courtesy photo: City of Lake Oswego)

The city of Lake Oswego has established its strategy for building out a new South Shore fire station that it hopes will save it money in the long run.

During a meeting Tuesday, July 1, the Lake Oswego City Council approved the city’s utilization of a construction management/general contractor method for the project.

This method, which the local government used for its City Hall and Millennium Plaza Park developments, brings along the general contractor early on in the process rather than the normal sequence of first hiring an architect to complete designs and then a construction contractor once those designs are complete. The city said the traditional design-bid-build method increases the likelihood of late stage changes to the project and, in turn, cost increases. The local government has recently grappled with a number of development projects coming in more expensive than anticipated.

“There will be constant communication surrounding design, cost, and functionality which reduces City risk and increases ability to manage the budget throughout the project,” the city staff report reads.

The current South Shore station was built in 1971, does not have adequate living quarters for both men and women, is not seismically resilient and has inadequate storage. The electrical system,  roof and HVAC system are also in poor condition and there is a rodent problem. A task force recently determined that a new station would cost between $16.7 million and $18.4 million depending on its size and other variables.

A bond measure will likely be required to complete this work and the city is in the process of gauging public support for the measure. It will present findings during a meeting Tuesday, July 15.

Councilor John Wendland advocated for the project to have cost boundaries.

“The worst thing that can happen is citizens say, ‘One more tax’ and it’s a loss and then we don’t get our fire station — and that’s a worry,” he said.