GOOSE CREEK, S.C.—Goose Creek City Council is expected to award a building contract on February 11 to China Construction America to begin building the city’s two new fire stations. The international company has a South Carolina office based in Columbia.
According to Michelle Smyth with Thomas & Denzinger Architects, the construction company was the lowest bidder.
The first fire station will consist of a 32,000 square foot facility near the intersection of U.S. Highway 52 and Button Hall Avenue.
“It’s a rather large station. The fire station will include a four-bay -garage. A substation would normally have two bays,” said Smyth. “It’s meant to house a crew of eleven in the living quarters, and it will also house the administrative offices for the fire department.”
Smyth says the building will include a training room facility and will also serve as the new home for the city’s building inspection department.
The second fire station will be significantly smaller.
“That is a small substation of about 10,000 square feet, so that’s a two-bay-fire station meant to house a crew of four,” said Smyth.
Smyth’s firm designed the two fire stations. In the past, her company has also designed the City of Goose Creek’s municipal complex as well as the city’s community center.
“Just from my personal perspective as an architect, a lot of growth is happening in that part of the lowcountry,” said Smyth. “The growth is really moving out that way in Berkeley County, so it’s very responsible for the city to plan accordingly.”
Smyth says construction of the two fire stations should last about fourteen months.
“So if they start in the spring, we’re looking at a completion date of early summer of 2015,” said Smyth.
The total price tag to build the two new stations is estimated to be around $13.4 million.
