The city of Charlotte (N.C.) Fire Department administration will soon have a new headquarters to conduct the public’s business. Architecture firm Tobin Starr + Partners will design a new 38,000-square-foot fire-department headquarters to be built on a 5-acre site. Construction on the $9.5 million facility is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2012 and be complete by the end of 2013.

The new headquarters will house offices for the chief and command staff, fire-prevention bureau, the emergency- management department, and the information-technology department, which maintains data for live routing of fire trucks to every address in the city limits. More than 80 fire department employees will work in the new facility.

The fire department’s current headquarters is in a single-story, converted industrial building rented by the city. That office houses the fire department’s command staff, IT department and emergency-management staff. Fire prevention is housed at a separate facility.

Plans are to use a brick, stone, steel and glass design along with high-performance materials, including high-efficiency lighting and heating and cooling systems. The design allows for maximum access to natural daylight and includes five large skylights on the second floor. The building will operate 24-7 and is capable of being fully operational without commercial power in an emergency setting.

The lobby space will include a 1902 horse-drawn steamer used by the department.