Specialty Construction: Best Project: Lehi Fire Station No. 83

Lehi’s population is booming, and the city needed a new fire station to keep up with demand for safety services.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASCENT CONSTRUCTION

Lehi Fire Station No. 83
Lehi, Utah
Best Project

Owner: Lehi City
Lead Design Firm: Design West Architects
General Contractor: Ascent Construction
Structural Engineer: ARW Engineers
Civil Engineer: Forsgren Associates
MEP Engineer: Van Boerum & Frank Associates Inc.
Electrical Engineer: Rocky Mountain Consulting Engineers
Key Subcontractors: Ace Electrical; Frontline Concrete; Innovative Sheet Metal; MP Associates; PEPG; Precision Welding; Ron J. Peterson Construction; Steve Broderick Plumbing; TerraWorks; Wright Masonry & Sons

Lehi’s population is booming, and the city needed a new fire station to keep up with demand for safety services. Station No. 83 had to be situated in an area of growing neighborhoods. The Traverse Mountain site met the requirements but not without presenting challenges to the project team.

Significant excavation and retaining work had to be completed before construction on the $5.6-million project could begin. The 14,000-sq-ft station’s highly visible location on the “point of the mountain” is known for its extreme weather conditions. Crews continually battled wind and snow to keep tents secure while masons, electricians and plumbers completed their work. An antiqued drain system required supplemental diversions of snowmelt and rain water.

Lehi City also needed to extend a road past the fire station to connect with a future charter-school site. The team worked with the city to streamline construction of the road and infrastructure.

The station offers large-vehicle storage, high-clearance garage bays, specialized-equipment storage, offices, a kitchen and lounge area, a conference and training room, sleeping rooms and a training tower, which is used to prepare firefighters for situations they may encounter in the larger buildings being constructed in the city. The tower also allows for high-angle rescue training, often employed during mountain rescues. These state-of-the-art facilities will be shared with neighboring fire departments to promote life-saving skills across the valley.