The City of Lighthouse Point broke ground on its new Lighthouse Point Fire Station 22 and Emergency Operations Center on Nov. 18.
Kaufman Lynn Construction will build the two-story, 18,000 sq. ft. structure at 2010 Sample Rd., designed to withstand Category 5 hurricane force winds of over 157 miles per hour.
The contractor also anticipates breaking ground on a new community center at Dan Witt Park in early 2021 as part of its ongoing partnership with the city. The City Commission approved $10 million for the fire station and community center combined.
The fire station will incorporate several sustainable green elements and offer the latest safety features, Kaufman Lynn says in a statement. It will accommodate at least 24 firefighters and paramedics with individual sleeping quarters, bunker storage, kitchen, dayroom and laundry. It will also have a medical storage training room, decontamination area, offices, a generator and three drive-through emergency vehicle stalls. Construction is expected to wrap up by fall 2021.
“Over a year ago, Kaufman Lynn promised to support the city by working with Currie Sowards Aguila Architects to get the Fire Station and Emergency Operations Center to budget,” Kaufman Lynn CEO Michael Kaufman said in a statement. “We stand here today having achieved the goal of ensuring that the department has the facility and resources to meet the growing city’s needs, and we are ready to leverage our extensive experience building public safety facilities throughout south Florida.”
There will be approximately 80 workers on site at peak construction, under the leadership of senior vice-president Derek Wolfhope, project executive Bill Cottle and project manager Whitney Ramroop. The subcontractor team also includes Lighthouse Point residents.
“We continue to serve our city of 10,000+ residents by bolstering our resources,” said Lighthouse Point City Representative William Gallo. “Through our work with Kaufman Lynn and Currie Sowards Aguila, we are focusing on innovative concepts that provide superior services to the community, especially during emergencies.”
“We are looking forward to this new facility serving as an impressive gateway to our city,” said Lighthouse Point Mayor Glenn Troast. “This has been a collaborative effort with our residents, City Commissioners, Fire Department, Curie Sowards Aguila Architects and Kaufman Lynn Construction to provide our first responders with a top-notch structure. We are thrilled to see this project get underway.”