New firehouse project begins in Danville

Visible changes are taking place at the site where the new downtown fire station will be built on property bounded by Lynn, Monument and Newton streets.

City Manager Joe King said asbestos removal has been worked on for the past couple of weeks and site preparation is now under way.

Danville Public Works crews have been taking down scrub tress along the Monument Street side and debris is being cleared, now that the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has given the job the go-ahead, according to Rick Drazenovich, director of public works.

One old building has been removed and the debris from a long-ago fire on the Lynn Street side is next, Drazenovich said.

Some of the wood is being salvaged for use in the new structure — part of the deal made with state and local historical preservation groups, Drazenovich said. A few small buildings at the edge of the property near Newton Street, including an old kiln building, will also be saved and likely used for storage, he said.

Drazenovich said a salvage company is also disassembling at least one building in hopes of using the wood again.

Danville Fire Chief David Eagle said he it excited to see the project finally get started.

The current fire station was built in 1926, when fire apparatus was much smaller and lighter.

“We’ve outgrown the usefulness of the building,” Eagle said. “Eight-six years is a long time.”

The current station house on Bridge Street is simply not big enough for everything a modern fire station needs, Eagle said.

“It’s been put off and put off,” Eagle said. “From a safety, room and efficiency standpoint, it isn’t working; we can barely get the trucks in through the doors.”

Female firefighters cannot be assigned to the Bridge Street station because there is only one bathroom and the sleeping area for firefighters is one large room.

Money for the estimated $6 million project was approved in the 2011 budget. The money was borrowed and will be paid back over 25 years, Barbara Dameron, the city’s finance director said.

“We deferred principal payments until 2014,” Dameron said. “We’re only paying interest now. We’re hoping the economy recovers by then.”

King said construction on the new fire headquarters will begin at the end of the summer, and it is expected to take a year to complete.

The original plan called for the city’s emergency services staff to move into the building as well, but a small stream running through the property prevents the building from being as large as originally hoped, King said. Once the fire headquarters is built, a separate building for emergency services will be built on the other side of the stream, he said.

Design work is being done now, and he expects to present a plan to Danville City Council soon, King said.

The property — made up of one large piece and four smaller ones — was purchased for a total of $143,863, according to Michael Adkins, the deputy finance director.