The Princeton City Council voted to award a design-build contract for an expansion of the Princeton Fire Department, approving Resolution R-25-029 and authorizing further design work toward a guaranteed maximum price.

Theresa, the city’s planning and zoning administrator, told the council a work group made up largely of fire-department staff reviewed proposals and narrowed the field to two finalists. "Wagman Construction out of Aurora ... their costs were roughly about $600 to $650 per square foot, with a timeline of approximately 1.5 years," Theresa said. "Raylan Johnson out of Cherry Valley ... their timeline was closer to 9 to 12 months ... with a proposed $450 per square foot building cost." The work group recommended Ringling Johnson Construction and the contractor was notified.

Theresa said the resolution includes a not-to-exceed figure — described during the presentation as roughly $1.8 million to cover worst-case scenarios such as soil remediation and optional items like in-floor heat. "What they'll do is as we get this going and they redesign ... they will come up with a guaranteed max price," she said, noting the estimates include a 5% contingency for owner-requested additions.

Council members questioned design details including apparatus-bay door sizes and interior circulation. Scott (project staff) and an unnamed fire chief described living quarters adjacent to the ambulance bay, dedicated workout space that will be temperature controlled, and a relocated memorial wall to improve public access. Council discussion included whether some furnishings and equipment—low-voltage alarm systems, a commercial range and hood—are included in the design-build price; presenters said those items should be covered in the contract, while department-specific items may be furnished using fire-tax funds.

On funding, Theresa outlined options intended to avoid new debt: drawing part of the project from the general fund, using proceeds from opioid-settlement monies (projected "may be up to about $200,000 by close of this year '27"), and tapping existing cash and CDs (she referenced a CD of $1,400,000, another CD of $2,218,000 and a sweep account around $1,500,000). "You could basically swap out your expenses ultimately," she said about using settlement funds in lieu of general-fund expenditures, adding quarterly reporting requirements for those funds.

Theresa said a design meeting was scheduled with the contractor to finalize living-quarters plans and that the contractor had already prepared initial renderings and a draft design-build agreement. She also noted the project team will pursue a guaranteed maximum price once design progresses and that local preference in vetting bidders would be applied where appropriate.

The council voted to approve Resolution R-25-029, awarding the contract to Ringling Johnson Construction. Roll-call affirmation was recorded by council members present. The project now moves to the detailed design phase and price guarantee work before construction begins.

The council meeting packet and the contract documents are expected to contain the full not-to-exceed amount and the guaranteed maximum price when finalized; the city will report further schedule and budget updates as design work proceeds.