Temporary housing unit going in at North End Fire Station in Tumwater 

The City of Tumwater is moving forward with a plan to purchase a temporary housing unit for firefighters at the North End Fire Station on Linwood Avenue. 

The Tumwater Public Works Committee reviewed and recommended for approval a $165,000 deal with Champion Home Center to purchase a five-bedroom modular housing unit. The committee heard about the proposal from Facilities Manager Chris Graham at a meeting on Jan. 22.

Graham said the North End Fire Station houses more people than it was designed to support. The addition of two personnel from a new medic unit compounded the issue. He added that personnel are making do by using rooms that weren’t intended to be dorm rooms. 

“There’s kind of a hodgepodge. There’s some open-air dorms and there’s some other rooms that weren’t initially intended to be dorm rooms that are being used as dorm rooms just to meet staff demand,” Graham said. 

The proposed solution is a five-bedroom modular unit that comes with an open living room and dining space, kitchen and two bathrooms, according to a floor plan showed by Graham. 

He said staff modeled the floor plan after a design used by the West Pierce Fire Department, which is also undergoing its own expansion project. 

Graham said the unit would serve as a quick and temporary solution until the renovation of the fire station is completed. 

He added that it would be less expensive than leasing a similar building and can be repurposed later for other uses, such as low-income housing. 

The cost of the unit is $165,000 but that does not include installation costs, which would be handled by a separate contractor. 

With the committee’s recommendation, the deal will be forwarded to the Tumwater City Council for approval on Feb. 3.  

Graham said if approved, staff would move quickly to place the order. He estimated delivery could take 10 to 12 weeks. While waiting, he said staff could prepare the site for the unit, which will just be in front of the North End Fire Station. 

Fire Chief Brian Hurley said funding for the purchase would come from leftover money tied to the city’s agreement with Thurston County Medic One.