GAINESVILLE - Gainesville officials broke ground under a tent Wednesday afternoon because of steady rain at the site of the city's new Public Safety Building and fire station off Queen City Parkway.
Police Chief Frank Hooper said he's looking forward to moving out of his crowded headquarters downtown on Jesse Jewell Parkway.
"Hopefully we'll be back over here in 16 months having a dedication ceremony," Chief Hooper said.
Fire Chief Jon Canada said his new fire station would be in a much better location.
"We'll have a lot better accessibility to respond to calls in different areas of the city," Chief Canada said. "We'll have a lot more room for our staff and personnel, we're very overcrowded right now."
The $19-million dollar project is set for completion by June 2010.
Michael Tomy, vice president of building contractor Heery International, is in charge of construction and said work is running ahead of schedule.
"We're even starting to grade out for the basement of the Police Station and Municipal Court Building," Tomy said.
Work on clearing 13 acres for the new buildings at the corner of Pine and Summit Streets is moving quickly according to City Manager Kip Padgett.
"This is a significant step for Midtown, we've invested a lot of money in Midtown and this is another effort by the city to re-invest in the area," Padgett said.
The project was on the SPLOST Vl list approved by Gainesville/ Hall voters on March 17th.
Friday
October 18th, 2024
8:54PM
