For years, the Saratoga Fire District's board of commissioners has been fighting to get approval from the city to build a new station to replace the existing 80-year-old dilapidated structure. But, after approximately six years and over five design proposals, board and staff members' dreams will finally come true as they watch the final architectural design proposals for the new fire station transform from detailed sketches to reality.

Efforts first paid off in December 2002, when city council members endorsed the conceptual design plans that included reconstruction of the existing 7,000-square-foot building to a 14,000-square-foot structure that will include a second level, featuring nine bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining area and a day room where staff members will be able to watch television or meet for training sessions or for conferences.

"The building is pretty worn out," said former Fire Chief Ernie Kraule, who is now acting chief capital project liaison. "In the end, it will be a win-win situation for everybody."

By mid-June, all 24 firefighters and the five administrators at the station will be living in their new temporary quarters in a nearby facility that will be built where the old Contempo building used to stand. This move will be the first phase of a three-part process that is expected to last until the fall of 2004.

Many of the fire personnel said that moving from the current facility to the temporary box-shaped building will be an interesting transition but feel that it's worth it in order to have the new station built.

"We'll have to make do with the temporary building because we absolutely need a new station," said Capt. Don Olson. "The space is too small in the current building, and everything is falling apart."

According to Olson, the idea of building a new station was conceived in 1994 after an engineer who inspected the building concluded that it was "seismically unstable" and that the only things holding it together were the intertwining electrical conduits hidden behind the walls and ceilings.

In addition, Olson said that the building has been experiencing considerable amounts of water seepage through the roof and walls during the rainy winter months, making the area cold and damp. That explains the buckets and tarp-covered walls in some of the rooms.

The second phase of the construction process will entail moving the Memorial Arch back to its original location in Blaney Plaza. The arch will be handled by Kelly Brothers Movers, the same company that initially moved the monument from the plaza to the fire station in the early 1960s during road construction at Highway 9 and Saratoga Avenue.

Sometime in August, the existing structure will be reduced to a conglomeration of wood pieces and metal scraps during the third and last stage of the project.

Like the interior, the exterior of the building will be undergoing significant changes that will affect traffic coming to and from Saratoga­Los Gatos Road and Saratoga Avenue. The front of the new building will be pushed back approximately 47 feet from the street and the side facing Saratoga­Los Gatos Road will be set back 15 feet to allow space for a new right-turn lane. In addition, a new left-turn lane will be installed on westbound Saratoga Avenue to southbound Saratoga­Los Gatos Road.

Drivers getting into the parking area will also be affected. Commuters will no longer be able to enter through George Whalen Way. Instead, traffic will be rerouted, with cars incoming from the alley next to the sheriff's office.

A 24-hour hotline will be open during the construction process for residents who have concerns about the project, but workers said they will try to operate with minimal inconvenience.

There will be a community meeting for those interested in learning more about the project on May 22 at 7 p.m. at the fire station.