Overland Park’s Firehouse No. 41 reconstruction project at 75th Street and Conser continues.
Director of Facilities Tony Rome told the Public Safety Committee last week that the project is still on track to wrap up in the middle of 2024.
The new 12-bunk firehouse, which will sit mostly on the same property as the old firehouse, will be two stories and feature more health and safety measures to protect firefighters.
Firefighters working out of old Marty poolhouse for now
- During the firehouse reconstruction project, a down-sized crew runs calls out of the old pool house at the Marty Neighborhood Pool next door.
- The city retrofitted the space to sleep a team of five temporarily and built a barn structure to store a fire apparatus out of the elements.
- Rome said it’s “working out well” with “minimal disruptions.”
Cost-saving elsewhere makes room for design upgrades
- Money saved in other areas of the firehouse reconstruction project has made it possible to improve other elements of the design, Rome said.
- The team has upgraded the four doors on the front of the apparatus bay to a sturdier bifold door option. Those should cut down on some of the maintenance costs associated with the typical garage-style door the city uses on its other firehouses because they’re more able to withstand the wear and tear, Rome said.
- Additionally, the firehouse will have better insulation in its apparatus bay roof.
Overland Park could revisit some other city buildings
- Though nothing is for sure at this point, Rome signaled at the most recent Overland Park Public Safety Committee meeting that other older city buildings could soon get the same treatment, either renovations, rebuilding or other modifications.
- Overland Park, incorporated in 1960, only recently started to see some of their buildings reach the age where replacement or major renovation might be necessary.
- One building discussed during the committee meeting last week was Firehouse No. 42 near 95th Street and Antioch Road. The older part of that facility is reaching the end of its useful life.
- The Dennis Garrett Facility, which houses the northern part of the city’s Public Works division, is also potentially reaching the end of its useful life.
Take a closer look at the Firehouse No. 41 rebuild:
Looking back: Overland Park moves forward with energy-efficient redesign of 75th Street fire station
