Fire station restoration goal of $400,000 city grant quest

Sunday, March 8, 2015
Breaking ground on the new (and current) Greencastle Fire Station during the snowy winter of 1978 are (from left) Greencastle City Councilmen Bob Calvert and Cliff Ooley, Mayor Clifford "Abie" Frazier, Councilman Gerald E. Warren, City Engineer Cliff Norton, a member of the construction team and Councilman-at-large Clair Williams. (Photo by ERIC BERNSEE)

The same year that infamous Blizzard of 1978 rolled through central Indiana, the City of Greencastle was basking in an avalanche of good fortune, securing grant funding for a brand, spanking new fire station just half a block south where the old station had stood since its horse-drawn, steam-engine days.

Its construction funded by a timely block grant program in vogue at the time, the fire station located two blocks south of the courthouse square is now in need of structural repairs after 36 years of serving the community.

Under construction for most of 1978, the fire department moved into its new quarters in February 1979, during the mayoral term of the late Clifford "Abie" Frazier.

The repair and renovation project to expected to cost about one-half of the original price tag on the firehouse.

The city plans to seek the maximum $400,000 Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (IOCRA) grant to repair some structural damage that been uncovered over recent years at the firehouse on South Indiana Street.

"They knew there were problems," Mayor Murray said recently of fire officials, dispelling the notion the issue had materialized during last year's South Indiana Street streetscape project.

City Building Commissioner Dave Varvel, a retired former Greencastle firefighter, documented some of those building issues during his inspection which precipitated the need for a full structural assessment of the site.

"We're moving forward with a full-blown assessment," the mayor told the City Council during brief discussion at its December meeting.

"It's not in any danger of falling down," Varvel assured recently, explaining that an insulation layer installed between sections of the concrete block construction has disintegrated and is causing issues.

"It's more of an energy issue," the building commissioner added, explaining that the roof of the firehouse needs to be redone as well.

Mayor Murray said the next step toward the renovation work is to provide the documentation to grant administrator Kristy Jerrell so she can move forward with the necessary income survey (see sidebar story) associated with application for the IOCRA grant for the fire station improvement project.

The grant program is funded with Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The first step toward going for an IOCRA grant is to complete a required income survey.

The income survey must qualify the fire service area of the City of Greencastle/Greencastle Fire Department to apply for the grant. All planning projects must benefit at least 51 percent low- to moderate-income individuals.

The city has engaged the services of certified grant administrator Jerrell of Jerrell Consulting and Grant Administration Services, Terre Haute, to administer and complete the income survey by April 24.

Greencastle will be applying for the grant officially on April 24. If awarded, it is expected to be announced on July 10.

The City Council's next regularly scheduled meeting is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

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  • I sure do wish them luck in getting this financial aid.

    -- Posted by donantonioelsabio on Sun, Mar 8, 2015, at 10:43 PM
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