photo by: Mike Yoder

New office space with a copper exterior and new folding bay doors are seen on the southwest corner of the renovated Lawrence Douglas-County Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., Monday, Dec. 23, 2019.

With its gleaming copper-plated addition and the bright red garage doors, the renovated Fire Station No. 1 stands out.

The $7.14 million renovation project is nearing completion, with only a few final items, and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical personnel moved back into the station several weeks ago. In addition to preserving the building’s midcentury modern architecture, the renovation added an office area, training room, individual sleeping quarters, two additional fire poles and new garage doors.

Chief Shaun Coffey said the latter two additions help quicken turnout time for fire and medical staff, and that means quicker response times to emergencies. Coffey said that considering how quickly fires spread and tissues die, even reducing response time by a matter of seconds can make a difference in outcomes.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Within seconds of an alarm at Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical crew members access one of two new fire poles near their second-floor bedrooms, kitchen and TV rooms, Monday, Dec. 23, 2019.

“Obviously our chances for success for suppressing the fire or helping the medical call are only enhanced the quicker we can get there,” Coffey said. “That’s why that time is so critical.”

The two additional fire poles mean the station now has four poles total, a pair leading down from the renovated kitchen and break area and another pair of poles from the bedrooms. Coffey said the station’s new bi-fold garage doors open faster than the previous roll-up style garage doors.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Lawrence Douglas-County Fire Medical Lt. Jeff Holland demonstrates the new folding bay doors at the renovated Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., Monday, Dec. 23, 2019.

One of the main functional improvements to the building was replacing the dorm-style sleeping quarters with individual rooms for firefighters and paramedics. A former maintenance bay that was no longer being used was converted into a training room. An office — the area that is covered with copper plating — was added to the station’s southwest corner, and the roof of the office area provides a patio and barbeque area. The building’s radiant heating system was also replaced with a new heating and ventilation system, which includes components that filter contaminants from vehicles and gear out of the building.

The city expects to receive $1.4 million in historic tax credits to help pay for the renovation once the project is complete, according a city staff memo to the City Commission.

photo by: Mike Yoder

One of 10 individual bedrooms added during the renovation to Lawrence Douglas-County Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., is pictured Monday, Dec. 23, 2019.

Jay Zimmerschied of Zimmerschied Architecture Inc. was the city’s architect and consultant on the project and B.A. Green Construction was the contractor.

Zimmerschied said the building was designed in 1950 and has many midcentury modern design features, including the blonde brick, stone archways and stone copings. He said the project preserved and restored all the building’s original masonry as well as the other features.

“It’s in an old shell but it functions as good or better than many new stations, I believe,” Zimmerschied said.

photo by: Mike Yoder

The west exterior of the recently renovated Lawrence Douglas-County Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., incorporates a new tower with an interior staircase. The station is pictured Monday, Dec. 23, 2019.

The Douglas County Senior Resource Center is housed in the eastern portion of the building, and the center reopened in the new location in September. The city and county previously agreed to jointly fund the project, which renovated both sides of the building.

Coffey said that there will be a public open house for the fire station, but a date has not yet been set.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Lawrence Douglas-County Fire Medical personnel use an office space in a new southwest corner wing at Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., Monday, Dec. 23, 2019.

photo by: Mike Yoder

A new, separate locker room for crew gear is pictured at the renovated Lawrence Douglas-County Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., Monday, Dec. 23, 2019. Previously, firefighters’ gear was stored along the walls inside the fire engine bay.

photo by: Mike Yoder

After returning from a call, Lawrence Douglas-County Fire Medical personnel park Engine 1 in renovated station bays at Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., Monday, Dec. 23, 2019. The bays have a new concrete floor and new bay doors that fold open rather than rise up.

photo by: Mike Yoder

A new, large kitchen on the second floor of Lawrence Douglas-County Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., is pictured Monday, Dec. 23, 2019.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Lawrence Douglas-County Fire Medical personnel use an office space in a new southwest corner wing at Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., Monday, Dec. 23, 2019.