Fire (Station) in the Hole

Archive for the ‘Fire Station 3’ Category

First, let me apologize for being unsociable.

I’ve added an “add this” bar to the end of each post so you can now easily  link, email, tweet, digg, or otherwise share any post to almost any “sociable media” platform around. If you want to link to the home page use the buttons to the right. Also if you want to quickly see any of the videos posted here click on the YouTube button on the right which will take you to the FSITH YouTube Channel.

Last week was a busy one. Not so much for the garage as 21st Rd., where crews started work on curb and gutters from Lee Hwy to approx where the mini-park will be developed. I’m going to hold off posting pics from that work for a day or so because there are a lot of them. Check back in a few days or link to the RSS feed and wait for notification.

Last Saturday most of the brick veneer work was finished. The only totally unfinished section left is a small section on the east side and a tiny part of the NE corner. There are also a few areas that have not been mortared yet.

Also, last week, the railing out side the Lee Hwy exit was painted beige to match the roof.

So with not too many to-do items left to check off on Koons garage construction and the FS3 site getting a chance to dry out with this great weather it seems a hand-off to Whiting-Turner shouldn’t be too far off now for sure. Anyway here’s a couple more garage construction pics from last week:

Many have asked when the fire station construction is going to start. Here is the answer according to Rick Pinsky, Arlington County’s FS3 project manager:

“Due to status of the Final Engineering Plan approval and site transfer delay FD&C has not issued a Notice To Proceed to Whiting – Turner.

Whiting-Turner will not accept the site due to excess soil on the site (this is the site transfer issue).  FD&C needs a timeline from Keane’s for removal of the soil from the site.  With recent weather conditions, a snow covered site and then dry out, it will be difficult for Keane’s to venture a guess.

Once FD&C has issued a NTP, Whiting-Turner will have 395 days to complete the project.  If FD&C issued a NTP on March 1, 2010, the project should be completed by March 31, 2011.“

So there you have it . (Keane is the construction manager for the Koons Toyota Garage)

One other Q&A – I was asked if Koons is permanently parking its cars on 21st Rd near Lee. The answer is I hope not. The cars parking there now belong to construction employees. When the garage is completed there is no parking on 21st Rd. from Lee Hwy to the west end of the fire station.

Last weekend mystical eleves striped the three Koons garage levels. I didn’t even notice the work was being done until it was. Oddly it’s a good sight to see because it means the garage is that much closer to completion. Not much other real excitement.

Striped :

South Facade Looking West:

Brick Veneer On East Side Creeps Northward:

Preparing for Window Grids on West Facade:

I think this is how we all feel now. (If you can’t tell what it is, its snow breeching the northern wall of the Koons Toyota garage.)

Here’s a before Snowpocalypse I and after Snowpocalypse II. First picture was taken Feb 1, right after the Jan 28 mini storm that dropped a few inches. Second picture was taken yesterday morning. Yeah, wow.

If you are wondering how this affects the completion of the garage and “Ground Breaking” for Fire Station 3, Arlington County has a progress meeting with the FS3 contractor, Whiting-Turner scheduled for Feb 17. That should be around the time FS3 construction starts in earnest.