Mold remediation and renovation at a fire station in The Villages will cost more than $1.5 million.
The Villages Public Safety Department’s Station 41 is located at County Road 466 and Morse Boulevard.
Late last year, mold was detected within the walls and ventilation system in the living quarters at the fire station. Since that discovery, a portable trailer and a Porta Kleen building have been moved in to provide temporary lodging and hygiene for the firefighters still working out of the station. There is a dumpster and portable toilet located in the parking lot for the workers assigned to the project.
The original facility was constructed in 1994 to house two firefighters, which included four truck bays. The building was expanded in 2008 to house an additional five firefighters.
In early 2022, the facility was deeded by Sumter County to The District, ahead of the referendum that would have established an independent fire district in The Villages. The referendum failed in November.
The District’s Department of Property Management assumed full property management of all Public Safety facilities in December 2022 and is currently assessing the needs of the facilities.
An initial assessment of Station 41 determined that the interior was in poor condition, furniture very worn, mechanical systems in poor working condition, exterior materials dated, energy efficiency was very low and the roofs needed replacement.
“Generally, the facility is in poor condition and was in desperate need of major renovation or reconstruction,” according to Assistant District Manager Bruce Brown.
He has provided the following breakdown of expenses for the renovation of Station 41:
- Staff Temporary housing, operation expenses. (Estimated eight-month duration): $237,893.
- Mold remediation, restoration and renovation of existing interior spaces to include new thermal windows and doors: $549,400.
- Expansion of interior space, renovation of fitness and storage areas. Updates to truck bays, sprinkler system, gear equipment/storage, replacement doors, and new roof: $569,700
- New furniture, fixtures and equipment: $225,000.
Total estimated cost is $1,581,993