New fire station costing Sandy Springs nearly $1 million more than expected

Deputy City Manager David Wells and Mayor Rusty Paul said part of the funds will be dedicated to sewage work and an underground tank found by construction crews across from the work site, as well as a traffic signal near the fire station location. (Courtesy Sandy Springs Fire Department)

Deputy City Manager David Wells and Mayor Rusty Paul said part of the funds will be dedicated to sewage work and an underground tank found by construction crews across from the work site, as well as a traffic signal near the fire station location. (Courtesy Sandy Springs Fire Department)

Sandy Springs has approved nearly $1 million in additional costs to build a new fire station.

Fire Station No. 2 will be constructed where the former station stood at 135 Johnson Ferry Road. The original firehouse opened 1969 and needed to be upgraded to meet current public safety needs, according to the city.

During a Public Facilities Authority meeting Tuesday, City Council authorized City Manager Andrea Surratt to approve additional project costs up to $500,000. Council members had previously approved another $462,000 since the original building was demolished last summer, Wells said.

The project has a total budget of $10 million, he added. Sandy Springs awarded a $6.5 million contract to Reeves Young construction company in February, but total costs now stand close to $7.5 million. More project costs could come about in addition to the $500,000 approved this week, Wells said.

Deputy City Manager David Wells and Mayor Rusty Paul said the newest round of funds will be dedicated to sewage work and an underground tank found by construction crews across from the work site, as well as a traffic signal.

“These are things we couldn’t know until construction began,” Paul told council members. “That’s why we’re doing this — to react to things we couldn’t anticipate on the ground.”

Wells said construction for the new fire station is expected to be complete around April. The new station will have two levels, a decontamination area, a training area, and separate living quarters for male and female firefighters.