City officials passed a motion Tuesday supporting the continued discussion of incorporating a potential new fire station and administration facilities in a proposed building near the Overture Center.
The city wants to include a new fire station and administration complex in Hovde Properties’ proposal for a multi-use residence building on the 300 block of West Johnson and West Dayton streets.
The city council passed a motion to explore designs for the building, which would likely result in a value of around $50 million.
“This is a major undertaking for the city of Madison,” said Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
The exact details of the potential partnership between the city and Hovde Properties are still being explored, including who would design the fire administration building.
One local firm specializing in fire station design has already expressed interest in making a proposal to Mayor Paul Soglin and city officials, according to Verveer.
At an earlier meeting Tuesday, the city’s finance committee voted to allow the city to request design proposals for the project.
City officials also proposed the idea of combining police administration facilities with the proposed fire department.
Madison Police Chief Noble Wray rejected the idea because of recent renovation to the existing police headquarters. He also does not want to separate police administration from operations.
“I would not ever advocate separating the administration from central district or having access to officers on a daily basis from an operational standpoint,” Wray said.
