This week Cumberland is celebrating the start of construction of the community’s new fire hall on Cumberland Road. While the COVID-19 pandemic presents some challenges for the project, the Village is working closely with its partner contractors with the priority being the health and safety of all workers as the project proceeds.
In December 2019, the community approved the borrowing of $4.2 to build the new fire hall. Construction contracts have all come in within budget and projections show that the project will be completed within the total $4.2 million budget approved by the community.
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“The fire hall has been slated for replacement for over 20 years, and I am very proud to see this project begin on budget,” said Mayor Leslie Baird. “Building this new fire hall will not only help keep our families safe from fire and other emergencies, it will also help fulfil our responsibility to keep our volunteer firefighters safe.”
The new fire hall will resolve significant operational safety and structural issues at the existing facility, and will have the capacity to house modern equipment and space for safe personnel and apparatus preparation during a fire response. The post-disaster building will also serve as Cumberland’s emergency operations centre with the new building designed to withstand higher seismic forces that non-post disaster buildings.
The $4.2 million cost will be funded through borrowing, resulting in an increase in taxes for capital debt repayment and operating costs for the fire protection service. It is estimated this will result in a $142 per year increase on Cumberland’s average-priced home ($431,847) based on borrowing for a 20-year term at four per cent interest. The amount will increase/decrease based on home value and interest rates. On the median commercial property this will result in a $294 increase per year.
For more information: cumberland.ca