Construction of a $4.1 million renovation and expansion of the 40-year-old Oregon fire station is proceeding on schedule and on budget.

Workers began setting the forms to pour concrete last week after fill was brought in to shore up the ground under the addition that will double the size of the current facility.

“We anticipated that we would be putting fill in. We knew that area had been filled previously with old concrete, so we wanted to be sure we had a solid base to work with, so that was all in the original plan,” Oregon Fire Chief Michael Knoup said. “It is my understanding that it was a lumber yard at one time.

“We’re on track and on budget.”

The existing station, 100 Washington St., is on the west bank of the Rock River next to the Route 64 bridge on the north side of the state highway.

In January, the Oregon City Council voted unanimously to approve a zoning variance and special-use permit for the fire district to expand the station, despite it being located in the city’s River Front Commercial District.

About 100 people squeezed into the council’s chambers or watched from the hallway as commissioners went against a Jan. 21 recommendation by the Oregon Planning Commission not to endorse the request, opting to approve the measure by a 4-0 vote, with one recusal.

The fire station was built in 1985 and grandfathered into the River Front Commercial District when that district was formed in 2016. The variance and special-use permit were needed because the fire district is planning “significant changes” to the station that would make it “nonconforming” to the River Front district.

The council’s decision followed a presentation by Knoup detailing the planned expansion and how it will be funded.

The expansion is needed to accommodate larger emergency vehicles, consolidate all fire apparatuses and equipment under one roof, and provide more living quarters for full-time firefighters and paramedics.

Knoup said the expansion project will take 14 to 16 months to complete and will be done in three phases.

“We are looking to have the steel supports put up this month. The building shell should be up by the end of October,” Knoup said.

Fire district trustees decided that moving the fire station to a new location and rebuilding from scratch would be too costly for taxpayers, estimating that cost at $8 million to $10 million.

The proposed expansion is being funded through existing capital funds combined with bonds and grants without any increase in the district’s property tax levy, Knoup said.

Consolidating all vehicles and apparatuses in one location will increase efficiency and decrease response times, which can make a difference in saving lives and property, Knoup said, noting that in 2024, the fire department rescued 26 people from the river. He also said calls for service increased from 400 in 1985 to 1,200 last year, with 80% of those being ambulance calls.

“The citizens of Oregon and its tourists are our priority,” Knoup said during the January meeting.

In the years since the existing station was built, the district has transitioned from an all-volunteer force to a combination of paid full-time and volunteer staff, employing nine full-time members working in three shifts, with three members per shift, Knoup said.

“I want to thank the public for their continued support. We are right on target,” Knoup said.