1860 Willamette Falls Drive, West Linn 97068
Why a New Station?
The old, two-story brick structure did not meet current seismic, design, or
ADA requirements. The facility was also significantly undersized for the standard
District apparatus, and did not accommodate the Water Rescue craft and tow vehicle.
Background
The Willamette station serves the historic Willamette District
in the city of West Linn, as well as Interstate 205. Easy access
to the Willamette and Tualatin Rivers makes this the logical
location for the District’s Water Rescue Team. This team acts as
the primary responder to water rescue emergencies within the
TVF&R service area and assists other jurisdictions as a support
unit in a variety of water rescue tasks.
View Larger Map
Station 59 is home to a daily engine company crew of three firefighters and the District’s Water Rescue Team.
In addition to responding to fire, medical and rescue incidents,
firefighters at Station 59 respond to a significant number of motor
vehicle accidents on Interstate 205, as well as water emergencies in
Clackamas County. The 12,260 square foot building includes sleeping rooms, a kitchen, physical fitness area, an office, a large apparatus and storage bay, and a community room.
The Willamette Station was constructed to survive a major earthquake and
is large enough to accommodate today’s modern fire apparatus. It also allows the District’s Water Rescue Team to keep its water rescue vehicle hooked up to Boat 59, dramatically improving the team’s response time.
The station is energy efficient and designed to meet a certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. The building incorporates extensive use of natural light, solar panels to preheat water, on-demand water heaters, and rain-water capture for toilets, use of low emission and recycled construction materials and high-efficiency lighting, heating and cooling systems. The $2.26 million station was designed with extensive public input. TVF&R participated in over 40 public meetings with neighborhood associations, historical resource advisory groups, the Planning Commission, and the West Linn City Council detailing plans for reconstructing fire stations in West Linn. Fire Station 59 is one of two TVF&R stations to be built in West Linn. TVF&R is also building a new fire station in the Bolton neighborhood to replace the aging Fire Station 58. Both projects are paid for by bonds approved by 68.6% of voters in November 2006. The $77.5 million general obligation bond pays for capital improvements across the District and is expected to improve and maintain TVF&R’s response to emergency incidents.
Finally, the Willamette Fire Station incorporates an important part of West Linn firefighting history: A historic bell that called firefighters to action for half a century now sits atop the new building for all to see.
Project Updates
Open House - April 3, 2010
Firefighters from TVF&R’s new Willamette Station
hosted nearly 500 people on Saturday, April 3rd during our
station open house celebration.
The event was an exciting opportunity for firefighters and
community members to meet and spend time together as they explored the
new building. The event
included a Color Guard Presentation by
TVF&R’s Pipes & Drums and
Honor Guard, a speech by TVF&R Deputy Fire Chief Mike Duyck, and
both new and antique fire apparatus.
February 8th, 2010
The Willamette Station is one step closer to completion after crews
installed a historic fire bell that has been part of West Linn history
for more than 60 years. According to former West Linn fire
volunteers, the 700 pound steel alloy bell was used before World War II
in the original Willamette District building as a way to summon
firefighters to the station during calls for service. The bell
lived on in front of the former Station 59, which was built in the
1950s.
During construction of the new station, TVF&R shipped the bell to a
company on the East Coast where it was refurbished. Crews used a
crane to hang the bell on the new building. The bell includes an
electronic ringing device so TVF&R can ring the bell during special
occasions.
TVF&R expects to begin moving the crew from Station 59’s temporary
location into the new building in early March.
January 28th, 2010
Logistics and communications professionals from Tualatin Valley Fire
and Rescue are hard at work inside Station 59 in West Linn after making
one of their final walk-throughs with the building’s contractor this
week. CSI Construction has reached substantial completion of the
building and TVF&R is now putting the finishing touches on the
building’s interior. Landscapers have finished their work on the
station’s exterior as well.
The building’s community room, located 0n the bottom floor next to
the apparatus bays, has its own separate entrance on the east side and
will be a gathering point members of the community who contact the fire
district and rent the space.
Station 59, also known as the Willamette Station, has the usual fire
station accoutrements including kitchen, day room, exercise facility and
bunks for the firefighters who will live here during their 24 hour
shifts.
Sometime next month workers will help Station 59’s crew, which has
been working out of a house just behind the new station, will begin
moving into the new building.
January 7th, 2010
The Willamette Station will be the first of TVF&R's three new
stations on track to be completed. Workers are busy inside Station
59, installing lighting, plumbing and phone lines. TVF&R expects
to move into the station on time in mid-February.
December 4th, 2009
Crews are moving quickly inside Station 59.
The interior work is proceeding from top to bottom:
second floor sheetrock and paint is complete, and activity is now
underway on the ground level.
Workers recently poured the apparatus bay floors
and are making good progress in the building's kitchen and day-room.
Construction is scheduled to be complete in late January.
November 15th, 2009
The Willamette Station's exterior brickwork is complete and people
driving by can now get a good preview of what Station 59 will look like
when finished. Now that the roof and windows have sealed the
building's interior from the elements, crews are making progress inside
the station. They've already completed much of the tile-work in
the station's locker rooms and are preparing to lay the floor in the
building's two large apparatus bays.
October 9th, 2009
The windows are in place at the Willamette Station and crews are
beginning to lay bricks on the building's exterior. Meanwhile,
workers continue to build out the station's interior. Supervisors
say the station is on track to be completed on time.
September 17th, 2009
Station 59 is almost completely framed. The roof is under
construction and crews are already hard at work inside the framed
building working on electrical systems and plumbing. The view from
the second story is impressive and Station 59's new shape bears a
fitting resemblance to the other stately buildings that line West Linn's
Willamette Falls Drive.
.jpg)
September 1st, 2009
Station 59 is now two stories tall! Within the span of just a
few hours last week, workers used a crane to lift up the building's
second floor walls and secure them into place.
West Linn Tidings Article
August 19th, 2009
Crews have raised more walls at Station 59. You can now see the
apparatus bay doors on the Willamette Falls Drive side of the building.
These are the doors through with Station 59's paramedic engine and water
rescue team will drive while responding to emergencies.
August 1st, 2009
Station 59 is starting to take shape. Of the three TVF&R fire stations
under construction this summer, the Willamette Station is setting the
pace. Site preparation is finished and construction has started on the
walls. They were assembled lying down and then “flown” into position
with the help of a large crane.
Construction-watchers may wonder why
the concrete floor in the apparatus bay has yet to be poured. Because of
the enormous pressure applied by a loaded fire engine, it’s critical
that the reinforced and extra thick concrete be given ample time to
cure. Cure time early in the project slows down the rest of
construction, so this will be one of the last things that the contractor
does.
Speaking of contractors,
CSI
construction is building all three stations for TVF&R this year. By
bundling the projects, we estimate that $1.2 million was saved.
While
their new station is under construction, Station 59’s firefighters are
living and working out of a home across the street. This location means
the community will see no change in response times.
Anticipated Opening
February 2010