CORNWALL – A new fire station and training center in the north end of Cornwall will cost taxpayers between $8 million and $9 million.
That’s contained in the yet-to-be-passed 2020 budget and a presentation city council will hear tonight (Monday) from the project leaders for the new station, Colliers International.
The new 16,000 square foot station is proposed for the northwest corner of Brookdale Avenue and Tollgate Road and would also include a training facility, alleviating the need for firefighters to travel for training. It was one of seven sites looked at.
This is the same site proposed for the Walmart SuperCenter in 2007 before nearby residents objected citing child safety and traffic before Walmart abandoned its plans for that location. “Potential opposition from residential neighbourhood,” is cited as a threat to the proposed fire hall.
The project has a price tag of $9,097,262, which includes $1.5 million to buy the land, but the consultant expects that cost to be lower. The land has already been bought. The 2020 budget has the entire project pegged at $8.7 million.
The 2020 budget, which has yet to be approved, includes $2.9 million this year through financing part of it ($2.6 million) and covering nearly $300,000 with money collected from development charges.
The city is expected to put out a request for firms to submit bids to design and build the fire headquarters and training center. The project would be completed next year.
Colliers says there was a public consultation meeting on the fire hall – 36 people showed up – 30 were firefighters.
Tonight’s meeting at city hall starts at 7 p.m.