Tenleytown Firehouse Façade

From dc.gov:

The Office of Contracting and Procurement, in cooperation with the District's Fire and Emergency Medical Services, is currently in negotiations to secure a new contractor to renovate the Tenleytown Firehouse.

The District terminated the previous contract for this project in July of this year due to non-performance on the part of the contractor, HRGM Corporation. Negotiations with the bonding agent for HRGM have been ongoing since that contract was terminated. Bids by interested contractors for the completion of this important project are due to the bonding agent's representative, Meridian Consulting Group, by December 15, 2003.

The historic firehouse is one of the oldest structures in Tenleytown. It was designated a DC historic landmark on February 7, 2002. Built in 1900, it was designed by noted DC architect Leon Dessez in Italianate revival style. The firehouse is historically significant because the services it provided allowed the once rural Tenleytown area to develop as part of a modern city. The renovations will allow the firehouse to expand and modernize to serve the community's needs while still retaining the building's historic façade and character.

The District believes that it is in the best interest of the community to rehabilitate the existing facility under the current plan. To do otherwise would require additional redesign costs and months of additional delay. Approvals from historic preservation, zoning, and design review boards have already been secured. These approvals are contingent upon the preservation of the exterior walls of the existing structure.

The District is committed to the successful completion of this project. Under the current design, the firehouse meets the programmatic needs of the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. Deputy Mayor Herbert Tillery will oversee the ongoing, multi-agency effort to get this important project back on track.