Renovation of a former hydro warehouse into a temporary fire station will be co-ordinated with the reconstruction tender of Dundas' full-time fire station at Memorial Square.

Deputy fire chief David Cunliffe said this week his department is working with the city's facilities department to schedule necessary renovations to the former hydro building on Park Street West.

Specific details of the temporary site's renovations were not available, but Mr. Cunliffe said that work will be timed to coincide with the tendering of the project at the permanent Dundas station.

"Final drawings are being completed by the architect. Then we'll take it to tender," Mr. Cunliffe said. "We move forward when the tender is awarded."

Fire station officials originally hoped to begin a major rehabilitation of the Memorial Square building in September, relocating fire apparatus and staff to the Park Street West building between July and September. The fire department targeted September 2009 as a completion date for the project.

Fire department officials announced the need for a temporary fire station in April. The preferred site, at 346 Park St. W., required a temporary rezoning to permit a fire station.

Despite some concerns from the surrounding residential neighbourhood, the rezoning was passed by council and was not appealed, or officially objected to, by an early July deadline.

The rezoning is in place for two years, while the project is anticipated to last one year or less.

The retrofit of the 36-year-old fire station includes a complete gutting of the building's interior, constructing new living areas, a kitchen and washrooms, plus new heating, air conditioning and electrical systems.