Old Steger fire station to get makeover for police

by Dennis Sullivan
editor@ewcnews.com
Jan. 21, 2015

An Alsip company has been selected to make the fire station on Emerald Avenue north of Steger’s fire-damaged municipal building into something more closely resembling a police station.

Village trustees, in a 5-0 vote, selected Talsma Builders as the lowest qualified bidder for the job, which consists of:
* installing new front and rear entry doors,
* building a new wall with a glass window in the front entry area, separating the reception and secretarial areas,
* building separate offices for the chief, deputy chief and detectives and
* building a processing room.

There was no discussion prior to the vote.

The 90-foot-by-50-foot one-story brick structure became a fire station decades ago after serving as a police station. The station was officially named the Elmer Joyce Memorial Fire House in 2003.*

It has temporarily returned to law-enforcement use since a June 30 nighttime fire ravaged the municipal building, which also served as police headquarters.

Talsma, which entered a $66,710 base bid, was recommended by the village architect, Mario Planera, who had estimated the job at $72,000.

Eight other companies also bid on the project. The highest bid, from Chicago Heights Construction Co., was for $111,000. The second-lowest bid, from Stronghold Construction, Inc., was for $69,302.

In other business,
* Trustees approved Police Chief Carl Mormann’s request to transfer a 2008 Ford Explorer with 106,000 miles from his department to the fire department,
* Trustees approved a 36-month lease for a Toshiba-brand photocopier
* Trustees approved financing for the village administrator’s new vehicle,
* Village Clerk Tory Recupito announced first responders are invited to the 5:30 p.m. Jan. 31 Mass at St. Liborius Catholic Church, where they will be honored by Knights of Columbus Council #14562.

* Editor’s note this article was updated at 9:25 a.m. Jan. 22, 20015 to reflect the official name of the building.

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Eastern Will County News