Anson County’s new emergency services center is set to move forward, and will go before the Board of Commissioners in January for approval.
On Thursday, County Manager Lawrence Gatewood said his office received confirmation that an environmental site assessment for the new facility has been completed and there are no environmental concerns or issues. “This is the last ‘green light’ required before taking the final proposal to proceed with the construction of the new center to the Board of Commissioners in January,” Gatewood said.
Cathy Baxter, senior accounting officer and project manager of the emergency services center project, said that CESI Land Development Services was hired by Anson Bank and Trust to conduct the Phase 1 Environmental Assessment in October. CESI gave the project its seal of approval to move forward.
The new facility will be located on Country Club Road, on the site of the former National Guard Armory building, which was demolished last year. The armory building had been vacant since the National Guard moved out more than 20 years ago.
At the commissioners’ October meeting, Gatewood had reported that when the emergency services center was bid out to contractors, the price tag ranged between $4.25 million and $5 million, which was well over what was budgeted. “We really need to stay within that $3.6 million window we budgeted for,” Gatewood said in October.
He announced at Thursday’s Anson Economic Development Corporation meeting that after meeting with the contractor and architect, he’d been able to get the center back into the $3.6 million range.
The new 24,000-square-foot facility would house Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the Fire Marshal/Emergency Operations Director and 911 Call Center. The facility is planned to serve the county for the next 40-50 years, Gatewood said.
The commissioners’ January meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Jan. 7 in the Anson County Government Center, Wadesboro. If the commissioners approve the project, Gatewood said ground will be broken in February.
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