UCFD Station 23 Addition – Phase 1

 
McCormack Construction partnered with Umatilla County Fire District #1 on an apparatus bay addition to Fire Station #23 in Hermiston, Oregon, designed to expand vehicle capacity and enhance emergency response capabilities. The $1.3 million project was completed in 6.5 months and represents a strategic investment in public safety infrastructure for the town of Hermiston and Umatilla County. The addition provides critical space for additional emergency apparatus while ensuring the station can continue serving the community without interruption.
 
The project involved construction of a 7,089-square-foot apparatus bay addition to the existing Fire Station #23. The structure was built with CMU walls, a wood roof structure, slab-on-grade foundation, and metal panel roofing designed to match the existing facility’s aesthetic and functional requirements. McCormack served as CM/GC, managing the complex task of matching the elevation and footprint of the new addition to the existing building while maintaining a required seismic gap between the two structures to ensure proper seismic performance.
 
Key challenges included navigating existing site conditions, managing significant owner-requested changes throughout construction, and maintaining emergency services at an occupied facility. The project required precision installation of a large exposed wood roofing structure, careful utility routing to connect the addition to existing systems, and strict compliance with special inspection requirements. Coordinating construction activities around active fire station operations while ensuring firefighters could respond to emergencies without delay added complexity to scheduling and site logistics.
 
To address these challenges, McCormack maintained constant communication with UCFD #1 leadership and subcontractors to maximize efficiency while allowing the fire station to maintain full emergency services capability. When the owner requested significant changes throughout construction, McCormack leveraged internal resources and creative solutions to accommodate requests within budget constraints. The team worked closely with the engineering team to resolve issues not identified in the original drawings and maintained a high level of quality control, ensuring all special inspections were passed without complications.
 
The UCFD Station 23 addition strengthened Fire Station #23’s capacity to serve Hermiston and established a strong relationship with Umatilla County Fire District #1, creating potential for referral work throughout their network. For McCormack Construction, this project demonstrates expertise in fire station expansion, occupied facility construction, and the ability to manage owner changes while maintaining operational continuity, budget integrity, and stringent quality standards.