With unanimous Town Council approval Aug. 15, work is expected to begin by early September on a 1,400-square-foot expansion of the Palisades Boulevard fire station.

The council voted 6-0 to support the $390,953 contract with Vertical Build, LLC of Scottsdale. Councilman Dennis Brown was absent.

Development Services Director Paul Mood told the council Vertical Build was the lowest of nine project bidders. He said that two alternates for the project, painting the entire building and some landscape work, put the bids over the $420,000 budget so they were eliminated.

The planned addition is to serve as a crew bunk room on the north side of the existing equipment bays.

Fire officials say they need to better accommodate female firefighters and the ambulance crew.

The project includes the removal of an old mobile home with that space being converted to parking.

A communications tower at the fire station is to be relocated by Rural/Metro prior to the start of the addition.

Mood said the project is on a 120-day schedule making a completion date early in January 2014.