BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
The Providence area may soon see the beginning of construction on its new fire station, but the project may have some problems.
The Union County Board of Commissioners recently put out a call for bids, advertising the project from March 21-28, with the pre-bid meeting set for the latter date. The deadline for receiving bids will be April 23. However, the project would now cost between $1.2 million and $1.5 million to build. This means there is currently a shortfall between $410,000 and $710,000.
Plans call for a 6,000-square-foot building and associated fixtures and furnishings, as well as site development consisting of, but not limited to, grading, drainage, asphalt pavement, concrete flat work, concrete curbing and sidewalks, underground utilities, a fire suppression well system, a potable well, stormwater retention, and final dressing and grassing.
Some of these items might be delayed, or the building could be smaller than originally planned, but some changes will have to be made.
Final fund shortage figures will not be known until the project’s bids are received, so once again, it will be a wait-and-see scenario.
