The new fire station in Amherstburg is coming in half-a-million dollars under budget.
Council will be given a report tonight to award tender for the South Fire Station to Niacon Limited and execute an agreement for nearly $9.9-million, with a final budget for the entire project sitting at $11.3-million.
The approved budget for the station, which will be built at the Libro Centre, reduced by $507,000.
The new station will combine Station #1, which is on Sandwich Street next to Town Hall, and Station #3. Station #2 will remain in Anderdon.
Linden Crain, Amherstburg councillor, says there are now savings for coming under budget.
"When we first started this discussion last year, we had a report from Masri O' Architects that actually concluded if the Town were to fix up Station #1, #2, and #3 instead of building a new one, that cost would've been close to $20-million in 2024 dollars to really bring up the three stations to modern standards."
He says the new station will feature much needed amenities.
"Four bay doors, bunkers, a space for both male and female firefighters to shower and decontaminate - which we don't actually have at the stations currently. It includes an emergency operations centre, offices for various senior admin on the fire team."
Crain says the health and safety of Town staff is the extremely important.
"The state our stations are in right now are currently failing. To point out - Station #1 has no back-up power on site, rain and snow enters the bay doors, there's water running down the walls, accessibility issues, there's no proper contamination places for firefighters that are returning back to work, no ladies showers, there's a number of issues."
$10.9-million of the project will be funded through debt.
If approved by council to move forward with the recommended contract, Crain says he expects that construction will begin right away.
Council meets at 6 p.m. on Monday.