Fire Station #3 groundbreaking could be as soon as January 2027

ASHEBORO — The City of Asheboro is close to building the fire department’s new Emergency Operations Center, colloquially known as Fire Station #3, with general contractor D.R. Reynolds as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR).

City Manager Donald Duncan told city council members at their Sept. 10 meeting that the start of construction is close. Groundbreaking could be in January.

“It’s been a process that started long before I got here, and I think before [Eddie Cockman] was even appointed as fire chief,” Duncan said.

The city council approved contractual agreements with D.R Reynolds. They will seek installment purchasing financing to cover some of the funding that has not yet been given to the city. Fire Station #3 is estimated to cost just over $8 million, not including soft costs like the architect and project management.

Duncan showed some of the early design plans for 

the fire station to be built on Zoo Parkway and Crestview Church Road. The city chose a red brick design to fit with Asheboro’s textile buildings. It will have room to expand should the department add more fire companies in the future.

“It’s been an experience; I’m learning a lot of construction terms,” Cockman said. “We are very grateful as a department. It’s been a long time coming.”

Duncan touched on the project history. The original plan for a 20,000-square foot building had to be scaled back due to costs. The city also originally planned to go with a design-bid-build model, then switched to a CMAR after hearing from other cities and towns that built new fire stations.

A CMAR is a construction model in which the construction manager is brought in early during the design phase and agrees to complete the project within a guaranteed maximum price.

Duncan said D.R. Reynolds has built nearly 50 fire stations in North Carolina and had good recommendations. “They are about economics and value as well as efficiency.”

City staff worked with Storey Project Management to draw up a contract. Once that is signed, Duncan said they can negotiate a guaranteed maximum price and timeline.

So far, Asheboro has received $4.9 million for the project and has another $5 million awaiting congressional action. Duncan said Sen. Thom Tillis told them to expect it, but it may not be available until next summer.

He said they do not want to wait and let inflation raise the project cost. “This budget amendment and this financial package will guarantee you have the funds, to then later reimburse yourself through the grant funds, and so we don’t delay the project another six to eight months,” he said.

The council voted unanimously in five steps. They agreed to work with D.R. Reynolds, approved the CMAR contract, amended the General Fund, amended the project fund, and finally voted to seek installment purchase financing.