Fountain fire station, multi-use complex and more in the works
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Community center meets fire station. Bay County officials believe the multi-use complex will transform this bare space.
The $3.58 million project will replace the condemned east Hiland Fire Station off Highway 20.
'We've been working on this for the last four to five years and been able to get the funds approved through a USDA grant as well as some other funds. And from that, we're going to be able to build this new complex,' County Commissioner Doug Moore said.
The 10,000 square foot facility will accommodate eight fire personnel, a fire engine, a tanker truck, a brush truck, and an EMS vehicle.
However, the plans extend beyond that.
'Acquiring some additional land next to the existing Fountain complex, we're going to be able to expand the footprint of our community complex up there to include a community center as well as this fire station,' Moore said.
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The fountain community complex will include a metal building with basketball courts, a walking track, and other amenities designed to withstand 150-mile-an-hour winds.
There will also be a Bay County Sheriff's substation.
And if that's not enough, the facility will also provide crucial disaster response capabilities.
'When Hurricane Michael hit, we needed a pod distribution area. And this is a centralized location for Northern Bay County where we're going to be able to set up a very good section to be able to meet the needs of the community up there, where they'll be able to drive through. They can open their trunk. We can put the supplies in that they need and have a central rallying point, easy ingress, easy, easy access in and out for them to be able to get there and for us to be able to set up staging areas to meet the needs, or also stage county assets to be able to work on any type of recovery things that might need to be done in the area,' Moore continued.
While no one wants another Hurricane Michael, Moore says the complex will create a more responsive central rallying point for future hurricanes or emergencies.
Construction should take a year from the start date.
County officials are hoping for a ribbon-cutting next summer.
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