Thanks largely to a community fundraiser, a La Jolla fire station that hasn’t received major renovations since its opening in 1982 is slated for significant upgrades beginning the week of May 25.
The city of San Diego has approved a Phase 1 renovation plan shepherded by the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club to replace walls and doors in the sleeping areas of Fire Station 16 at 2110 Via Casa Alta on Mount Soledad, along with other improvements.
The station originally was designed with an open concept lacking doors that extend to the ceiling. Renovating the station will enable firefighters to have better sleep, privacy and living standards, project organizers say.
A renovation plan for Fire Station 16 at 2110 Via Casa Alta on Mount Soledad in La Jolla seeks to enhance the living quarters and part of the apparatus room, shown in this rendering by Arista Architects. (Provided by Parker Davenport)
The city agreed to provide the labor if the Rotarians came up with the money and materials, according to Sunrise Rotarian Parker Davenport. To account for the cost of temporary housing for firefighters, plus rising prices for materials, organizers increased their fundraising goal from $120,000 to $175,000.
“Unfortunately, we had to adjust that,” San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation Executive Director Wendy Moore previously told the La Jolla Light. “And we also kind of had to build in a contingency because we don’t want to get started and then not have enough to finish the project. Anything that comes in above what it actually costs us to do the project we’ll actually retain for that station.”
Cindy Goodman, a fundraising organizer and member of the Rotary Club of La Jolla, which is assisting the Fire-Rescue Foundation and Sunrise Rotary Club, said the $175,000 figure includes “a 30% overhead in case tariffs or other things increased the cost.”
Organizers have held a pair of fundraising events, one of which invited potential donors to the fire station to see its current condition.
With the scheduled start of construction nearing, the groups have raised more than $130,000, plus $7,200 in grant funding. Beyond that, several community members have offered materials to aid in the renovations.
Goodman and Davenport said the current haul puts the project in a good spot.
“Having a buffer … that we’ve raised, along with the … donations has really relaxed us,” Davenport said. “We were below our projected [fundraising] number, but with donations, it kind of puts us in a safer spot. … Everything kind of worked out, which is nice.”
Organizers are still welcoming donations at sdfirerescue.org/funding-initiatives to get them closer to their $175,000 goal.
Construction is expected to last four to five months, though it could continue beyond that, according to Goodman and Davenport.
Goodman said she is pleased with how the community came together for the renovation.
“Although the project has been in our minds … for several years, we only actively started to fundraise in October,” Goodman said. “So we are extremely grateful to people for stepping forward and saying ‘Yes, we want to help get this done.’
“Our firefighters need to be able to get a good night’s sleep and we want to help them.” ♦