Fayetteville council discussing future of Fire Station Four amid structural issues, legal disputes

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C, (WTVD) -- The city council will determine the next steps for Fayetteville's Fire Station Four after a recent inspection by Applied Building Sciences revealed major structural issues, causing significant delays to the project.

The project was approved in 2022 with a $9.4 million budget and was planned as a high-tech station to help lower firefighters' long-term cancer risks. City officials say construction on the station along Bragg Boulevard halted in late 2024 when costs reached approximately $4.3 million.

The building's exterior appears about halfway complete, but city officials report inspections revealed significant interior issues, including roof failures, mold, weak walls, and the use of PVC pipes for plumbing instead of the required cast-iron pipes.

A construction consultant hired by the city advised demolishing the building because of extensive damage and concerns over its long-term safety.

The project's issues have already resulted in a lawsuit; in 2024, the city sued WB Brawley, a Wilmington contractor, alleging the company failed to complete the project on time or meet building standards.

Brawley stands behind the quality of our work. In a statement, the company wrote:

"We believe most of the findings in the ABS report are incorrect. And more concerning is that their findings do not justify a teardown of Fire Station #4.

In our work, we followed the designs provided by the City and their partners. Any meaningful shortcomings are due to errors or omissions in the designs provided. Rather than address those errors and omissions, the City forced the stoppage of work and left the building exposed to the elements for 21 months.

As soon as we were allowed on site following receipt of the report, our team conducted extensive inspections, including destructive testing. The inspections established three key findings: 1) the supposed defects are a result of incomplete work; 2) are related to long-term exposure to the elements; or 3) are simply unsupported by evidence.

Tearing down the building would be a substantial waste of taxpayer funds and is woefully premature. This dispute is still early in court proceedings, and the state auditor is considering an investigation of the full construction process."

The Fayetteville City Council will discuss what to do with Fire Station Four at its meeting Monday night.