An idea to use the former Jeannette EMS station as the city’s new fire department was nixed after a tour revealed the proposal might be more costly than anticipated.
“Even to get the electricity up to snuff to support a fire station” would be expensive, said Councilman Chuck Highlands, who floated the idea last month.
Fire Chief Bill Frye said the garage at the EMS base is not big enough for the department’s trucks.
“I don’t think it’s feasible at this point,” he said.
Highlands brought up the idea in October to other city council members after expressing concerns about a potential funding shortfall in original plans to build a new fire station. Other council members were interested in looking into the possibility, but Highlands reported Tuesday the city will have to continue with a new building instead.
Jeannette in 2022 received a $1.2 million grant for the new fire station through the American Rescue Plan Act. In August, council decided to seek bids for the building, but officials believe the grant will pay for only part of the project to replace the department’s current station attached to City Hall. The money has to be used by the end of 2024.
Frye said he believes the grant could be enough to cover land preparation, utilities and the shell of the building.
“I think we do that and work on other grants,” he told council.
Plans for a new station have been in the works since 2019, but prices for supplies and construction materials have increased since then. City officials had anticipated building a new station in an empty city lot across Clay Avenue with the grant and it seems that will remain the plan.
Highlands said the new station might have to be built in stages and it could be years before it is usable.
Jeannette EMS closed abruptly July 3. Since then, it has been ordered to pay $339,904 to KeyBank for outstanding principal on a commercial line of credit, interest and late fees. KeyBank filed a mortgage foreclosure on the building, according to court records. A bankruptcy action in federal court is pending.
