The copper-colored building on the edge of Houston’s skyline has been a long time coming.

“Our guys have been in a temporary facility for about seven or eight years now,” HFD Assistant Chief Jack Williams said.

The building is Fire Station 8 – Houston’s only station downtown.

The city used to have two, but it sold the first in 2001.  That became the Downtown Aquarium.

Then the city moved another so the Toyota Center could be built.

So for the last five years, downtown firefighters have lived on leased land, which costs the city $23,000 a month.

Getting the firefighters their new super station has been a challenge.

It was supposed to cost $6 million, but the price tag has soared to $1.5 million more than the city expected.

“When we started this in September 2006, the contractor had a little bit of a slow start getting going. Then when we hit all the rains in 2007, that slowed us down,” Williams said.

Not to mention the rising cost of fuel and copper. 

The project was set back several more months when the city discovered abandoned storage tanks underground, some of which contained oil and chemicals.  The department spent $200,000 removing them and remediating the soil.

“I think everybody’s kind of surprised at the delays,” said Jeff Caynon of the Houston Professional Firefighters Association. ”That’s a good description. It’s living quarters and a giant garage.”

But the firefighter’s union doesn’t mind the delays for what’s supposed to be the pride of the department – a super station that’s become super expensive.