Weston fire station project cost estimate drops nearly $15 million from 2023 figures

WESTON — May 12, 2025 — Weston's Fire Station Working Group heard that its revised two-station fire project concept saves nearly $15 million compared to October 2023 estimates. Architect Rebecca Hopkins of Tecton Architects presented a total conceptual cost of approximately $52.3 million — $37.7 million for a new primary South Station with outbuilding and $14.6 million for a renovation of Center Station — reflecting updated escalation and the five to ten percent added cost of complying with the town's Specialized Opt-In energy code adopted in July 2024. Co-Chair Carl Stjernfeldt cautioned that a building-to-building comparison with Lexington's fire headquarters, which comes in at $875 per square foot against Weston's $899, is complicated by Weston's lower-cost outbuilding and a stark per-capita gap: roughly $3,000 per Weston resident versus approximately $690 in Lexington. The group informally backed a four-pipe fan coil HVAC system over a Variable Refrigerant Flow alternative, with mechanical consultant Brad Park citing longer lifecycle and non-proprietary components, and reached consensus that a 30-plus-year geothermal payback makes that option financially unattractive. Tecton is targeting a full draft report for the group's review at its June 2 meeting.