Representatives from North Bend and King County Fire District 38 could resume discussions soon on a new shared fire station.

“There seems to be renewed energy on both sides,” said Duncan Wilson, North Bend’s city administrator.

Officials from both sides agree that Fire Station 87, which currently serves both populations through a joint agreement with Eastside Fire and Rescue, is antiquated and undersized. In February 2008, the building was temporarily evacuated due to asbestos. However, officials have been unable to reach an agreement on building a new station since discussions began two years ago.

Previous rounds of negotiations have been held up by disagreements over the division of construction costs and ownership, and the new station’s site.

If an agreement is reached, voters would then have to approve a capital funds bond to pay for the construction. The new station could cost more than $7 million to build.

The existing facility was built as a volunteer station in the 1940s and has been remodeled several times to accommodate growth in the area. Fire crews living there have dealt with rat infestations, asbestos and cramped sleeping quarters.