The town will proceed with a design for the larger of two options for the renovation of the Hillsburgh fire hall.
Last week Fire Chief Dan Callaghan suggested the town build a two-storey addition that would provide over 3,000 square feet of unused space and cost $125,000 to $175,000 more than a single level addition.
“It makes sense to build future space now at a very reasonable cost,” Callaghan said. “We have to envision the next 40 or 50 years.”
The actual final cost is not yet determined, but Callaghan told the Advertiser the department has estimated the overall cost of the renovation will be between $1.6- to $1.8-million.
The bay area of the current hall, which is about 5,600 square feet, will remain largely unchanged. A single-storey administrative addition would measure about 3,600 square feet, while the preferred two-storey addition would be 6,300 square feet.
Callaghan said the unused portion of the hall could someday house town offices or even facilitate a possible move to a full-time department.
“The idea is to build it now, when it’s cheap,” he said.
Councillor Barb Tocher drew a parallel between the fire hall situation and that of the municipal building southeast of Hillsburgh. She said about 16 years ago the basement of the municipal building was unfinished, and now it is finished and full of offices, which she suggested is a sign of growth.
Council unanimously agreed to authorize the appointment of Somfay Masri Architects Inc., of Waterloo, and also to proceed with a request for proposals based on the two-storey design. Councillor Josie Wintersinger was absent.
