The site of the Station nightclub fire that killed 100 people in West Warwick may be transformed from a rubble-strewn lot into an attractive memorial park in the next year if the latest plans fall into place.

The Station Fire Memorial Foundation hopes to announce on Feb. 20, the anniversary of the fire, tentative plans for a memorial park and invite comments from family members of the victims, according to Dave Kane, a board member and father of a victim.

At the same time, trade union members have come forward and offered to do much of the work to transform the lot into a park with gardens, a list of the victims and a meeting house for visitors.

Kane said Michael Surtel, of Local 51 of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, was one of the first to offer help.

Gregory A. Mancini, executive director of BuildRI, an association of union contractors and local trade unions, said he was asked by Michael Sabatoni, president of the Rhode Island Building Trades, to help coordinate efforts to build the memorial.

He also said it was the plumbers union members who first suggested working on the memorial, and then the idea spread through other unions.

Several meetings have been held that included union members, the Associated General Contractors and Bob Weygand, a landscape architect and vice president of administration at the University of Rhode Island, Mancini said.

“The story is the community is rallying to support the victims,” Mancini said. He recalled at one meeting someone spoke of losing an apprentice in the fire. “It was very emotional.”

The site of the fire is littered with memorials, crosses for the victims and rubble. The foundation chose a design for a permanent memorial that was created by architect Stephen Greenleaf and Thomas Viall, general manager of RI.gov, the state Web site.

Chris Fontaine, president of the memorial foundation, did not return a call for comment. But Kane confirmed that while the group thinks the design is beautiful, it wants to make some changes that will make it safer and easier to maintain.

For instance, the design has a stream winding through the site. But Kane said relatives think that might pose a risk to children and it might be more prudent to have a different water feature, such as water running over a large rock bearing the names of victims.

Kane said a lot has to happen before work begins. For instance, the pending settlement of myriad lawsuits surrounding the fire must be resolved before the lot can even be surveyed. At the anniversary this winter, Kane said, he hopes plans can be announced and family members can be invited to comment.

Then, as the weather warms, work could be begin.

“It’s very exciting for us,” Kane said. “It’s astonishing. People called us all the time saying they wanted to do this or that. The union guys came out of the woodwork. Now, it’s getting close.”

A depiction of the proposed park design can be seen at the foundation’s Web site at www.stationfirememorialfoundation.org/sfmp.htm.

plord@projo.com