With golden shovels in hand, local Auburn legislators and public safety officials broke ground on a new Public Safety Complex to replace the former facility.
The new Public Safety Complex includes space for both public safety and judicial departments.
Public Safety Director Bill James said the building contains two stories and measures over 70,000 square feet. He specified that the new complex houses public safety administration, the police division, the fire division, judicial and the city council chambers.
Distinguished guests included Mayor Bill Ham, City Manager Jim Buston, Batson-Cook President Randy Hall, Public Safety Director Bill James, Municipal Judge Jim McLaughlin, principle architect of Seay Seay & Litchfield Architecture Frank Litchfield, members of Auburn City Council and public safety administrators. Ham welcomed guests to the event.
Hall described the future City of Auburn Public Safety Complex as the most meaningful project for Batson-Cook. Hall and the Batson-Cook team take pride in building a structure for those who protect the lives of Auburn citizens.
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James said the original fire station was built in 1964, and the police station was built in 1976.
"Our goal from the beginning of this project is to provide a facility that is quality from below the ground ... to the very tip-top of the roof," Litchfield said.
Seay Seay & Litchfield Architecture aims to provide a quality environment for the building's employees for the years to come.
Fire Chief John Lankford noted the new fire station will be similar in size to the former building. The truck bay will be expanded so the fire engines can double stack. The new fire station also provides more bedrooms and offices for the fire division.
Both Buston and James stressed that the project has been City-wide effort and will serve as a model for future public works projects in Auburn.
“What we really needed to do was start new, start fresh and develop something that will work for us for the next 50 years,” Buston said. “This will give us a facility that will serve not only the core public safety needs now, but as I said, will serve those needs for the decades to come.”
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