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Scottsdale first responders are on their way to having a new training facility as city officials hired architects to design planned upgrades.
Scottsdale police and fire departments train at the Tom Hontz Training Facility in north Tempe, on Stadem Drive. As a part of the 2019 voter-approved bond package, the training facility is in-line to receive upgrades.
Scottsdale City Council approved on Aug. 25, architectural services with Fucello Architects for $220,075 to provide conceptual design services for three separate projects replacing, modernizing and expanding the fire and police training facility.
The architectural approval will begin design work on three capital improvement projects approved by Scottsdale voters in the 2019 election:
Replacing deteriorating vehicle training track at the police and fire training facility;
Modernizing and expanding the police and fire training facility; and
Building a new fire department training facility.
After concept plans are approved, Scottsdale city staff will negotiate fees for additional designs and engineering to complete the construction documents, according to a staff report.
“This two-step approach will allow fore greater accuracy in developing the final scope of work after the design is more refined and will ensure that the proposed improvements are within budget before beginning final design,” stated the staff report authored by Gary Meyer, senior project manager.
The projects date back to 2016, when a Feb. 4, 2016, statements of qualifications for architectural services on the training facility received 14 proposals. The top four teams were interviewed on June 4, 2020.
The three training facility projects are a portion of the three-part approved bond question from 2019. The estimated costs of each project are:
Replace Deteriorating Vehicle Training Track at the Police and Fire Training Facility: $1,919,401
Modernize and Expand the Police and Fire Training Facility: $4,227,262
Build a new Fire Department Training Facility: $18,258,520.
Melissa Rosequist Managing Editor | East Valley @mrosequist_
I first started my journalism portfolio at the age of 15 while in high school before going on to study at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Being in the journalism field is the only professional avenue I was ever interested in, and have worked hard covering topics from school boards to hard news while working for the Independent, where I have been awarded for my reporting.