By By Thomas Tingle
Record Managing Editor
Construction of Madison's third fire station on County Line Road is well under way and set to open next spring.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site on Aug. 9. Among those attending the groundbreaking ceremony were Madison Mayor Jan Wells, Madison Fire Chief Ralph Cobb, Acting Fire Chief Greg Garner, members of the Madison Chamber of Commerce and other community dignitaries.
Huntsville-based Lee Builders is constructing the new fire station. The Madison City Council awarded the contract to Lee Builders after approving its bid of $576,925 on June 8.
Chris Sides of Mouzon &Associates, the architectural firm who designed the fire station, said Fire Station No. 3 will be the seventh fire station the firm has designed in recent months. Two fire stations each in Albertville and Guntersville were recently built. Two fire stations are now under construction in Scottsboro.
"It will take between eight to nine months to build the new fire station," Sides said. "Fire Station No. 3 will contain 5,400 square feet of space with two engine bays upon its completion."
The land on which the fire station is being built was donated by Heritage Plantation Inc. It is the first new fire station to be built since 1996.
Sides said the fire station will be a single-story structure and will contain a living space with four bedrooms – including a guest bedroom, kitchen, dining room area and bathrooms.
"Since this station will be located next to residential dwellings, we took that in mind and designed this building with a more "homier" feel to it," Sides said. "It will fit well into the existing surroundings.
Fire Station No. 1 is located at the intersection of Hughes Road and Mill Road. Fire Station No. 2 is located on Hughes Road across the street from Discovery Middle School. Each of those fire stations contains two engine bays.
Two new fire engines have been ordered for the department and will be delivered to Madison next January. One of the new engines will be stationed at Fire Station No. 1. The second new engine will replace an existing reserve engine at either Fire Station No. 1 or No. 2.