Work on Bradford’s new fire station on Melbourne Drive has officially commenced.
Last week, Mayor Rob Keffer, Community Services Director Terry Foran, Coun. Raj Sandhu, Coun. Peter Dykie, and Coun. Ron Orr along with retired Fire Chief Kevin Gallant and current Fire Chief Tom Raeburn were on site for the official groundbreaking.
At 829 square metres, Bradford’s current fire station is not large enough to meet the needs of a growing town, and a growing fire service. A master plan study showed the town requires a 1,765-square-metre facility to serve the population and a combined full-time and volunteer fire service.
In 2018, council endorsed a plan to re-purpose the current station on Melbourne Drive to house the town's public works and transportation staff, while building a new station next door on town-owned vacant land.
The new $6.4-million station is currently tracking under budget, being funded largely through development charges levied on new construction. The station is part of a multi-year project to support the town’s growing population.
The multi-year plan includes the revamping of the old station as a Public Works centre, as well as upgrading the storage facility on Line 11, which was completed last year, under budget.
"It's nice how everything is working together," noted Mayor Keffer. "The urban works yard will be able to use the old fire hall for their headquarters and make use of it."
The program also includes plans for a second fire station in Bond Head, to be completed by 2022 at a cost of $4.4 million, that will serve both the Highway 400 employment lands and the hamlet of Bond Head.
Also on the books: a consolidated administration centre, at a cost of $35 million, to be located on the Bradford Community Centre property at 125 Simcoe Road. The new centre will eventually house town staff currently working in 10 different locations, at eight different sites.
The new fire station on Melbourne Drive is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.
