On Monday, July 24, a portion of the old Everett High School began to be utilized as an active fire station, becoming the temporary quarters of the Hancock Street Station, while the station is being renovated.
Mayor Carlo DeMaria secured $3.5 million from the Everett City Council to rehabilitate the Hancock Fire Station. The first major renovation project in the station’s 100-year history will completely upgrade and modernize the facility.
DeMaria stated, “Renovation of this building is long overdue. It is one of our city’s oldest buildings and it is important that we recognize the importance of this project and the value it will return to our city and fire department.”
Due to the extensive amount of work that will be done to Hancock Station, it was necessary to relocate the one engine station. This spring the city’s Facilities Maintenance Department began working on a temporary station at the old Everett High School. Other uses in the building include the Health & Wellness Center and future classroom space.
The temporary fire station project includes bedrooms, a kitchen, storage for fire apparatus, an overhaul of the building’s electrical system, and installation of communication equipment.
Chief Tony Carli stated, “This temporary quarters for Engine 2 rivals some city’s primary stations. This could not have been accomplished without the work of our Facility’s Department.”
The $15,000 renovation-plan has received the support and praise of other local officials and the Everett Fire Department. The DeMaria administration has been able to fund robust renovation projects through cost management strategies. If contracted out or the use of trailers for the firefighters would have cost the City nearly $85,000.
Mayor DeMaria stated, “This project was done on-time, below budget and completed by in-house staff. It is important to continue to implement this type of work into our approach in order to save our taxpayers money. I want to thank our Facilities Maintenance Department for their creative design for the use of this space.”
Once the budget had been established, it was essential for the mayor and the Facilities Maintenance Department to continually analyze the function of materials, systems, processes, and building equipment for the purpose of achieving required functions at the lowest total cost.
As part of a long-term budgetary strategy, the mayor recently restructured the Facilities Maintenance Department, which has saved the city thousands of dollars by completing projects in-house. The city recently completed the renovation of the Recreation Center in-house, which saved $50,000. The mayor has lowered expenses by approaching cost savings as a core element at the project’s start and effectively implementing it into his administration’s culture.