Fire Station Construction Project in Marion, Iowa

Marion Fire Station

• Completed: June 2021

• Project Size: 21,214 sq/ft

• Contract Amount: $9,367,000

Overcoming the Unexpected in Marion, Iowa

Every large project has its challenges. But on August 10, 2020, the Marion Fire Station project faced something no one could have predicted.

The city of Marion, Iowa, was hit hard by a derecho—a powerful windstorm that tore through much of the state. At the time, the fire station project was in a fragile phase, with precast concrete and structural steel going up.

The Christner Contracting team had already been working through delays caused by COVID-19 earlier that year. Now they had a new set of hurdles:

• Cleanup slowed everything down. The site had to be cleared, and crews pitched in to help nearby neighbors.

• City leaders were pulled away. As project owners, they suddenly had to focus on leading disaster recovery for the entire city.

• Insurance reviews paused the project. Work couldn’t move forward until assessments were complete.

• Many workers had storm damage at home. They were rebuilding both on and off the job site.

Damage to the fire station itself was relatively minor but the team still lost several months of progress during the summer and fall. Even with all that, the Christner Contracting team stayed on track with the revised timeline. The project finished strong. It’s a clear example of their commitment and resilience in the face of crisis.