CONSTANTINE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Thanks to a $1.545,000 federal appropriation announced last month, the Constantine village council has approved a resolution to build a new fire station.
The resolution authorizes the village in St. Joseph County to submit an application for additional USDA/Rural Development funding for a 40-year loan of $1,550,000 at a four percent interest rate. Village manager Mark Honeysett says they should be able to pay off the loan utilizing the village’s special assessment funds.
The estimated cost of building the new station is $3,100,000.
In a presentation at the Constantine village council meeting Monday, administrative assistant Liz Vedbraaten said the current fire station is in bad condition.
“We have twenty volunteer firefighters in a building with a leaky roof. Screws are falling from the roof and concrete blocks are falling from the building facade. There are no locker facilities for women, and it is likely there is asbestos in the floor tiles and other areas. The brick wall is splitting, and you can see daylight in some areas. The floor is sinking and a standard fire truck won’t fit through the bays; they need to be modified,” she said.
Vedbraaten said the land at 175 North Washington Street, with an old grocery store and gas station, was acquired from a tax sale. Gas tanks have been removed with grant money. The estimated cost to remove the dilapidated building is set at approximately $60,000.
The projected date to begin building the new fire station is fall 2025 or spring 2026.
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