Old Covington Fire Station Feasibility Study

WDG Architects Engineers

Executive summary: "This feasibility study for the Old Covington Fire Station and site was assembled between February and June 2015. The purpose of the feasibility study is to recommend the appropriate use the fire station and its surrounding site. Four steps were taken to achieve the following recommendations: a building assessment, public meeting, master plan and a cost estimate. The building assessment report concluded that the Old Covington Fire Station is in moderately good condition and the structural components appeared to be relatively stable. It is recommended that the building be brought up to code; structural components be reinforced; and the building envelope be thermally upgraded using current building standards. The public meeting was held in the City of Covington Council Chambers on May 27, 2015. The community feedback indicated that the public wanted two possible uses for the fire house. One was a gathering place for the community, such as an art museum, Covington history museum or a senior citizen center. The other suggestion was a commercial use for the adjacent Brew House or a private owner. The master plan addresses the community’s range of requests with the design team’s recommendation for the best use of the building and surrounding site. We propose that the fire station be a multipurpose, open room space for community gatherings with sufficient support spaces. In addition, the adjacent water tower, pump house and tank can be repurposed for recreational use by the community. The overall site has the potential to be a significant landmark for the Tammany Trace trail head and can be a major component of the adjacent cultural surroundings. Our proposal recommends unifying the building and site with the local historic neighborhood as a plaza-type concept with several entrances to these structures. The cost estimate is broken down into two options for the fire station and two options for the site. The fire station options include one with a mezzanine and one without; both options include one open room with support spaces. The two site options include one with the development of the land area adjacent to the property and the other option without; both options include renovations to the water tower, pump house and tank." Project funding was provided in part by a 2014 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the City of Covington (project number LA-14-011) administered by the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office (grant number P14AF00062) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Covington, Louisiana is a Certified Local Government.

Old Covington Fire Station Feasibility Study

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