Councilmember LaBonge Moves Green-Roofed Fire Station Forward

FS 82 Rendering provided by L.A. City Bureau of Engineering

Hollywood residents will think green when they hear fire alarms now that the Los Angeles City Council has granted environmental clearance for the first fire station in Los Angeles with a living green roof.

The new 32,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art station will replace the current Station 82 on Bronson Ave., which at just 5,500 square feet, is over-crowded and has antiquated systems. Councilmember Tom LaBonge, who has championed this project from its inception, said final designs for the project are expected to be completed by the end of this summer.

“This is about public safety and providing the best possible fire response to Hollywood and the Hollywood Hills,” the Councilmember said. “This station will provide easy access for trucks. It will also be big enough to house the equipment needed to address the complex needs of both the Hollywood Boulevard theaters and the wilderness of Griffith Park. The green roof and sustainable elements are an added bonus.”

The capacity of the new three-story station will be a dramatic improvement over the existing station. The old fire station, which will be renovated and re-used for community use and equipment storage, houses six firefighters. The new station will have the capacity to house 16 firefighters per shift. The $30 million fire station is being funded through the Prop F General Obligation bond, approved by voters in November, 2000.

The new fire station, designed by RRM Design Group, will feature a variegated roofing system that will capture and treat rainwater on-site before it is piped to the storm drainage system. The roof garden will also keep the building cool and help save energy. These and other features will qualify the building for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED certification through the U.S. Green Building Council. Since 2003, all Department of Public Works’ newly designed and constructed projects of 7,500 square feet or more must be LEED-certified.