Pendleton seeks design-build firm for new volunteer-fire substation

The Town of Pendleton is seeking a design-build firm to help evaluate and plan a potential fire substation within the Pendleton Volunteer Fire Department service area.

The town’s proposal notice is dated April 15, 2026. It seeks professional services that would span early project planning, site evaluation, feasibility work and construction administration. The solicitation is a request for proposals, not an announcement that construction has been approved or that a contractor has been selected.

What the proposed work includes

Firms responding to the town would be asked to help develop a project schedule and examine possible sites for the substation. The scope also calls for evaluating factors that could affect emergency-response timing in the fire department’s service area.

The requested services include an economic-feasibility review and support for public education. That work could help the town explain the project, compare potential locations and present information to residents as the proposal moves through evaluation.

The design-build scope extends beyond preliminary planning. It includes construction oversight, progress scheduling, safety, testing, inspections, punch-list work and final project closeout. Those responsibilities would be handled as part of the proposed agreement with the firm ultimately selected through the town’s procurement process.

Funding and next public step

The solicitation also addresses the possibility that a negotiated contract could exceed the project’s estimated cost. In that circumstance, the selected firm would help research grant opportunities and could assist with public meetings if local taxes were needed.

The notice does not establish a final site, selected contractor, negotiated construction price or construction start date. It also does not itself provide approval or funding for construction. The practical effect on emergency coverage will depend on decisions that follow the site review, feasibility work and any later project action.

Pendleton’s 2026 meeting calendar lists August 13, 2026, at 6 p.m. as a potential next public decision point. The listing identifies a municipal meeting in Pendleton; any action related to the substation would depend on the procurement process and the status of proposals by that date.

For residents in the Pendleton Volunteer Fire Department service area, the immediate development is the town’s effort to obtain technical and planning assistance—not a construction award. A new substation could improve emergency-response coverage, but the town must first evaluate locations, costs, funding options and project feasibility.